Rogue
by Xxo.bibliophile
Summary: Set right after United we Spy. Cammie is now with the CIA and is sent on a mission with Zach to follow a lead on a rogue asset in Kabul. Sounds easy for a Gallagher Girl who's taken down the Circle right? ... Right? *In-Progress*
1. Chapter 1

"Ms. Morgan," Agent Townsend yells from below. "You're late."

"Sorry," I tell him. I hold up my report. "Almost finished," I say, but he doesn't care about the paperwork.

He nods towards the boy who looks like him. "We have a lead on a rogue asset outside of Kabul. CIA wants the two of you. If you have the time?" Townsend asks, almost condescendingly.

The boy looks at me and smiles. "What do you say Gallagher Girl? Do you?"

I take the file from Townsend's hand.

"Let's go." I said, walking towards the metal doors that led outside the facility. I felt the boy jog in place beside me and an arm wrap around my waist. As the retinal scanner scanned my eye and we waited for the doors to open, he turned towards me with a smirk plastered on his face.

"It's about time you came to see me."

The scanner subsided and I took that moment to turn towards Zach, hand him the file and look straight into his eyes. (Which were way more intense than any scanner anyone could create.)

He had changed since the last time we'd seen each other. Of course, a lot of things had changed over the course of the past six months.

We had finally taken down the Circle.

Zach's mom was dead.

The Gallagher Academy had burned down.

The senior class at the Gallagher Academy graduated in the courtyard of the once prestigious and top school in the country.

The Gallagher Academy was rebuilt four and a half months later.

All in that order.

So I shouldn't have been surprised that the boy that I had known when I was fifteen and in my sophomore year had also changed into the 20 year old man standing before me.

He had grown even taller, and now stood at a towering six feet. His hair was a shade darker than before and one strand fell into the dark green eyes that were peering at me. He had the hint of a shadow along his jaw, and I could see fresh stubble growing in.

Zach was a man. He oozed it.

Perhaps that was why as his smirk grew even larger and the question "Checking me out Gallagher Girl?" came out his lips, I didn't have a comeback.

And maybe it was because his eyebrows lifted up in an amused yet cocky manner and his smirk widened to maximum capacity that I was finally able to get past the attraction and retort,

"You look like your father."

I saw Zach's smirk wipe off his face as I turned and started walking through the metal doors that were now ajar, satisfaction showing in my demeanor.

But, like always, things don't always stay the same. Because as much as I would have loved to have had the last word in our exchange, Zach was never the type to be speechless.

He slyly caught up to me and (again!) wrapped his arm around my waist and turned me to face him with his eyes peering into mine, even more intensely than before. His smirk appeared yet again but more deviously as he replied,

"Well, we have been known to attract Camerons."

Oh.

No he did NOT just refer to my aunt.

Before I could retort, (and I was prepared this time!) his other arm reached behind my waist and set the file on the small table behind us before returning to join his other arm on my waist and pull me closer.

"But," he tilted his head as if he were mentally affirming a fact and shrugged a little, "Camerons have been known to attract us first."

A smile crept on his face, replacing his trademark smirk before it melted away and he leaned in and kissed me.

It was the first kiss we'd had in months.

The first kiss since we'd graduated.

So I couldn't help but melt in his arms a little bit as he held me tighter, all traces of a fight fleeing my body.

How does he do it? How does he know how to time it so when he kisses me, I would want to kiss him back because I missed him?

I didn't have time to think about it nor did I want to because Zach's lips parted from mine and placed a soft kiss on my cheek before he pulled back and smiled at me.

"You ready?" he asked, as his hand traveled down to hold mine.

I leaned in again and gently pecked his lips before turning around and grabbing the file.

"Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone!! This is my first story in a while so please review! The chapters may be spaced out because I'm about to be realllly busy but I'll try to upload long chapters or more than one at a time. Thanks again and here's chapter 2!**

PROS AND CONS OF WORKING AT THE CIA NOW INSTEAD OF THE GALLAGHER ACADEMY:

PRO: Breakfast is available in the filing room every morning.

CON: The food doesn't compare AT ALL to the Grand Hall's. Seriously. Not even close.

PRO: There are new passage ways and secret hideouts to find.

CON: Finding a secret hideout and/or passage way and using it will most likely result in the distrust of the higher agents and, a swift firing on my part.

PRO: Liz works in the gadget center only a few doors away.

CON: She was still the clumsy girl from Gallagher.

"Oopsy daisy!" I heard and looked over to my right to see her stumbling over towards Zach and I, with two syringes in her hands.

"Watch out Liz." Zach mumbled as he reached his arms out to steady her.

"Sorry Zach! Cammie!" she screamed, running over and hugging me with the syringes still in her hand.

"Hi Liz," I said, struggling to hug her back while making sure the needles didn't prick me. "What's in the syringe?"

Before she could answer, a manicured hand carefully took the formulas out of Liz's grasp and put them into a glass container.

"She's working on a stronger truth serum for your mission." Macey replied.

PRO: Macey also works for the CIA.

"It's not too different from the ones we've been using at Gallagher," Liz started as she pulled away, beaming at the chance to describe what she'd been working on. "I've just added a stronger dosage of the Sodium Pentothal which would combine with the Xinal-"

"English, Liz." Zach said.

"It's much stronger than before. And I used the chemical formula for Oxytocin, Dopamine, Serotonin, and Endorphins to leave them with a happy feeling afterwards so they wouldn't have a clue they were under it!" she said proudly.

Macey and I exchanged a glance at each other.

"Thanks." Zach said and carefully took the container from Macey.

"When do you leave?" she asked.

"Tomorrow. We just left the briefing room." Zach replied, then glanced over at me and smirked. "We would've left today but Cammie just had to have a whole day of me to herself before the mission. You know how she gets."

Liz giggled and Macey nodded at Zach, obviously knowing he was referring to the collapsible bunk on a train that he and I had fallen out of years ago.

I smacked his arm, apparently a lot harder than he anticipated because he winced and held it.

"You know Gallagher Girl, one day you're actually going to hurt me. And you're going to feel really bad about it."

"Come on." I said, walking away from them, ready to get this mission over with.

"Have fun lovebirds!" I heard Macey call, and as if on cue, Zach's hand slipped in mine and led us out of the building.

As we walked onto the acreage that surrounded the facility, I couldn't help but feel a slight discomfort surfacing.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I wasn't happy that I had finally gotten to see Zach and that we were going on a mission together.

He is my boyfriend after all.

And things had only grown stronger between us after the Circle was finally destroyed.

But even though we had been on missions together before with my mother and my best friends and even some of my teachers, we had been on those missions with _other people_. And this time….. well...

We weren't.

It would just be us.

Alone.

And if the thought of being alone around the world with a man who looks like Chace Crawford doesn't make you at least _a_ _little_ bit uneasy, I don't know what will.

We walked further through the grass until we reached a separate secluded base that was guarded by three security guards. Their gaze on us hardened as we approached.

"I.D." The bulkiest man of the three demanded, and Zach and I handed over our information.

"You're clear." he said, and one of the other guards stepped aside and motioned for us to follow him into the base.

I felt Zach squeeze my hand as we followed the man into what seemed to be a car port. Cars of all levels were parked beyond the bulletproof glass dividing us. Maseratis, Jaguars, Lamborghinis, you name it, all parked and ready to go.

The guard entered a code onto a digital keyboard propped on the glass. Slowly, the glass subsided and a hologram of Zach and I's name, picture and case file stretched across the expanse of the wall in front of us as we walked towards the cars.

A mechanical voice screeched,

"AGENT ZACHARY GOODE; CIA. LEVEL CLEARANCE: 7. ASSIGNED TO KABUL.

AGENT CAMERON MORGAN; CIA. LEVEL CLEARANCE: 8," ASSIGNED TO KABUL."

I smirked at Zach.

The guard turned from the hologram to face us.

"You are allowed to use any of the cars here for your assignment. Once you pick the car it will automatically update on your case information along with the date you accessed it. It can be traced anywhere in the world and has an emergency distress button behind the steering wheel. Activate it and a team of agents will come to your aid. Please use it sparingly."

He handed us a pair of comms units and a set of keys.

"Return safely agents." he said, and walked past us and out the doors.

"So," Zach turned to face me. "Which one should we get?" he asked, and I turned to look at the cars again.

The Gallagher Academy has taught me a range of things.

How to temporarily paralyze an enemy with a shoe string.

How to stand out. (Although I always found an excuse not to.)

But most importantly, how to _blend in_.

So as I took the keys from Zach's hand, I didn't go for the flashy Maserati. I didn't move towards the Jaguar. Instead, I walked right over to the humble Toyota Corolla that went unnoticed next to the luxury cars and leaned on it, gesturing that it was the one I'd chosen.

Because every pavement artist knows that the best way to gain an advantage is to go unnoticed.

Zach stepped towards the car, unlocked the door and put the key in the ignition while I walked to the passenger side and got in. Immediately our information on the hologram updated and the hologram subsided.

Zach turned to me and smirked.

"Smart choice." he said, and buckled himself in.

"Buckle up Gallagher Girl, we've got a plane to catch."

Then he started the car, and we were off.


	3. Chapter 3

The next couple of hours seemed to pass by in a blur.

We drove past landmarks, universities, and even a fair that was being held in the city park. Couples walked across the promenade hand in hand, men and women walked their dogs, and children played on the grassy lawn of the park. It all appeared to be normal; just another relaxing day in Washington.

I peered out the window and sighed as Zach drove on. His hand reached over to hold mine and squeeze it.

"You okay?" he asked, and in the reflection of the passenger window I saw him glance over at me.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I assured him and squeezed his hand back, turning to look through the window again.

It _seemed_ normal.

But I was a trained spy. I was trained to look beyond the normalities that the brain was accustomed to seeing and focus on the irregularities that hid in plain sight.

So I didn't pay attention to the old couple on the sidewalk walking a Pomeranian. I didn't focus on the street performer playing his guitar.

Instead, I focused on the woman in a red hat amongst the crowd who shook a man's hand for a brief moment, then in the blink of an eye, disappeared.

It seemed like such a simple gesture: two people meeting and shaking hands in a polite greeting.

But I knew better. I knew that the woman was really using one of the most basic tactics in the field of spying.

A brush pass.

"Zach!" I retracted my hand from his and placed both on the window.

"I saw a brush pass. There's an agent in the park to the right of us. A woman in a red hat."

He eyed the right side mirror at the scene shrinking behind us.

"So?" he asked.

"Why would an agent deliver confidential information in an area as public and under high surveillance as Washington's city park?" I snapped.

"It was probably nothing Gallagher Girl. It could be Interpol or M16 doing a op."

"You don't think there's anything **_toasty_** about it?" I asked, using spy-slang for when an agent was about to be compromised. I turned to face him because frankly, I couldn't believe Zach wasn't getting an odd feeling about the situation like I was.

"Nothing at all?"

"Why would a trained agent or enemy make such an obvious brush pass?" he retorted. "If they really were involved in something covert they would have been more discreet."

Zach has always been a mystery to me. Sure, I've known him for a while, but I didn't really _know_ him.

He still had things about him that intrigued me.

He would always remain a mystery no matter how close we would become.

But I did know that he was logical. Calculated. _Trained_.

So despite my doubts, I decided to drop it and sink back into my seat.

" _Relax_ Cammie." he said, emphasizing on 'relax'. "If it _is_ something to be considered, the CIA would be onto them already. They probably even have agents already there."

He was right.

It made sense.

But that didn't ease the twinge of uncertainty in my mind.

We drove two more hours until we reached a deserted airport used only for official missions. Zach parked the car in the abandoned-style garage thirty meters away, unloaded our suitcases from the trunk and started towards the airport.

We walked wordlessly until we reached the tarmac where two agents in pilot uniforms waited outside the plane for us.

"Agent Goode, Agent Cameron, welcome. We've been waiting for you." In one fluid motion they took our suitcases and led us onto the plane.

I did a standard bug sweep before I settled into the window seat, taking in the city view. I heard Zach talking with one of the flight attendants about the mission, then felt him plop into the seat beside mine.

"We're staying at a safe house west of Kabul," he started, "There will be another car waiting for us on the tarmac when we land. We take that, drive to the safehouse and send a dead drop back to the CIA when we arrive to let them know we made it."

"Do we have an update on the asset we're tracking?" I asked.

"The information will be sent only after we send the dead drop."

I nodded, then turned back to the window.

The stewardess began the flight safety presentation as Zach and I buckled ourselves in and soon I felt the plane moving from its position.

It was approximately eight-o'clock. The sky had turned a navy blue, and I could hear the faint rumble of the engine as the plane sped up and lifted into the air.

The flight was scheduled to be a tiring 17 hours so Zach and I made use of the time we had to go over the mission.

About 40 minutes in, we were served dinner, which consisted of either chicken and vegetables or steak and potatoes. (Again, no where close to the Grand Hall's,) and Zach and I's conversation switched over to more personal topics as dessert, (cheesecake,) arrived.

My eyes became heavier, and I felt my head start to gravitate to Zach's shoulder. He lifted the armrest wedged between us and his arm moved to pull me closer. I felt him kiss my head as I drifted off to sleep.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

I woke up about an hour later to Zach's head now resting on top of mine. I carefully adjusted his position so he lay on my shoulder as I leaned against the window.

The view was serene; we were now about 30,000 feet in the sky, sailing above a giant expanse of clouds. I sighed contentedly, taking in the view before my mind drifted back to the woman in the red hat I had seen in D.C.

Something about her seemed vaguely familiar..

I shook my head, forcing myself to stop thinking about the last time I had encountered a strange woman in D.C. because.. well.. it didn't end so well.

I felt Zach stir and my mind forgot about its concerns as I looked at him lying on my shoulder. He mumbled something inaudible in his sleep and I smiled to myself.

It was going to be a long flight.

But, it was going to be okay, because I had Zach by my side.

 **A/N** **So here's chapter 3! Who do you think the woman is? I'd love to hear your reviews. :) Thank you all for the reviews I've been getting so far also! I'll try to make this story really interesting.**

 ***Side note* I think of we ever got a Gallagher Girls movie, Cammie should be played by Lily Collins and Zach by Chace Crawford . I would just die. Okay bye.**


	4. Chapter 4

Okay.

Now I know I said that I would be fine because Zach was by my side.

But I meant that _figuratively_ , not _literally._

But it didn't seem like Zach got the memo, because somehow he was now tangled between my seat and his, his head was on my shoulder and his arm had found itself on my waist….. again.

Which, you know, would be fine and all in any other circumstance..

If I didn't have to pee.

But, as it so happens, I _realllly_ _had_ to pee.

"Zach," I whispered. "Zach get up."

"Mmm."

"Come on I have to go to the bathroom." I said, nudging my shoulder.

"Go later." he mumbled, but his grip around my waist lessened, and I lifted his arm off, wiggled out of my seat, and started for the bathroom.

I'd only taken two steps into the aisle before I heard him slump into the seat. I glanced back and saw him on both, passed out. It occurred to me then that since the start of our mission, Zach had been the only one driving and therefore hadn't had a chance to rest like I did (although it was just for 32.6 minutes) and he was actually tired. I sighed and continued on to the bathroom.

A stewardess smiled at me as I walked towards her.

"Boyfriends right?" she said, her eyes gesturing towards Zach in a I-know-how-you-feel manner.

I offered a polite chuckle as a response and entered the bathroom, feeling a little awkward as I closed the door.

Sure, Zach was my boyfriend, but until then, it had never really been mentioned _out loud_ by anyone. And it surprised me at how shy I felt that someone had noticed we were a couple.

My mind drifted off into thought as I wondered if my mom ever felt shy with my dad.

'As if.' I snorted sarcastically to myself.

I washed and dried my hands then caught a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror.

My hair had gotten longer, and now reached the middle of my back. My face was fine but could use some TLC from the altitude, so I reached into my pocket and put on a tiny coat of lip balm, then slapped some face moisturizer on my face and put my hair into a "messy bun" as Macey would call it.

Because you look really good in one and it wouldn't hurt to try and do yourself up sometimes.' My brain recalled her saying a couple missions ago when we had to go undercover as college students.

I smiled at the thought of her being proud of my look. Bex would deem it 'bloody chic.'

I was snapped out of my thoughts as the 'remain in your seatbelt' sign flashed on, cueing me to go back to my seat. I gathered my things into my pocket and exited the bathroom.

I smiled at the stewardess I passed and turned my attention to the "boyfriend" in my seating assignment who was now awake and staring out the window.

From _my_ window seat.

"Hey Gallagher Girl," he said as he turned to face me.

"You stole my seat."

"You can't hog the window the whole 17 hours," he replied, a smirk growing on his lips. He cocked his head and raised his eyebrow. "You changed your hair.. It looks nice." he said, a small smile replacing his smirk.

"Thanks." I said, not willing to let his compliment distract me from my new mission: Getting my seat back. "Now can you get out of my seat?"

Surprisingly, he did.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't happen without a smart, (yet somehow flattering,) remark.

"I want you to know Gallagher Girl," he said as he got up and moved out of the way for me to return to my seat, turning to face me as he sat in his, "I'm only giving it up so easily because I have a much better view to look at." he said as he snapped his buckle closed.

Now normally I wouldn't react the way I did next.

Normally I would roll my eyes or cringe internally at Zach's flirting.

But I had been on stuck on a plane for 17 hours and was pretty groggy.

So THAT is the only reason why my cheeks flushed a shade of red and heat rose to fill them as I blushed.

And THAT is the only reason why as his arm came around my shoulders, my natural response was to sink into his hold as he pulled me close.

And it would have almost, _almost_ been perfect if he hadn't chosen that moment to lean next to my ear and whisper "Boyfriends right?"

Almost perfect.

I didn't have to turn around to know he was smirking.

But I did, and I caught the stewardess' eye as she looked at us and smiled that same I-know-that-feeling smile.

And this time, I couldn't help but smile back and giggle.

"Five more hours to go." Zach said, lifting the little tv from the arm rest compartment next to my seat and switching it on.

I snuggled into his shoulder as he started picking out a movie.

"Four hours and 57 minutes really." I said, and from the reflection of the small tv I could see the small smile that had started forming on his face.

"Yeah." he said, and I couldn't help but notice that Zach was doing something that wasn't very typical of him.

"I've never seen you smile this much." I pointed out.

"That's because we've never been together this long without something life-threatening happening."

And once again I **PROMISE** it was just the grogginess!

But I felt my heart flutter like it was going to pop out of my chest.

"That's true." I managed to reply as I was trying to calm my heartbeat.

"Let's just hope it stays this way." he said, almost as a whisper, and I found myself thinking the same.

Let's hope so.

 **A/N: So we got some more Zammie in this chapter.. I hope you guys liked it! Next chapter they should be arriving. That's where the story will really pick up! It won't be too much action though, I'm warning you now because I'm really not that great at writing action. But I'll pick up little bits and pieces from other fanfiction and of course from Ms. Ally Carter. Please review again! I love seeing you alls opinions.** ***Sidenote* Where do you all write your stories? I use the "jotterpad" app because it's convenient for on the go. Okay bye.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Good afternoon passengers, we have now started our descent into Kabul and should be arriving in about 30 minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts and put your chairs in the upright position and flight attendants, prepare for arrival." The captain announced through the intercom.

Accordingly Zach and I adjusted our chair positions and prepared for touch down.

We arrived 30 minutes later just as the captain said, and I watched through the window as the plane taxied towards a secluded base before coming to a stop.

The seatbelt sign turned off, and we unbuckled ourselves from our seats, gathered our luggage from the overhead bins and started for the plane's exit, stopping to thank the pilot and the flight attendants before descending down the stairs leading out of the plane and onto the tarmac.

Just as Zach said, another Corolla was waiting for us on the tarmac. He opened the back doors and put our luggage in the seats, then moved towards the driver side.

I stepped in front to block him.

"You drove last time, I'll take over from here." I said, but Zach shook his head.

"It's fine Gallagher Girl. I can drive." he said softly but with firmness in his voice.

Talking wasn't going to get us anywhere I realized, so I opened the driver's side of the car and sat in.

He looked at me through the window with an amused look on his face as he dangled the keys to the car in front of me.

….Crap.

I cracked open the door a tiny bit to remind him of one important thing:

"You've got the keys to the car but I'm sitting in the driver seat. Now we can either stay here until you finally decide to sit down, or you can give me the keys and we can be on our way." I said.

Zach chuckled and handed me the keys before moving to sit in the passenger seat.

I put the key in the ignition, turned it and the car sparked to life. A faint beeping noise sounded briefly from the back of the steering wheel, assuring us that the car was being tracked by the CIA like the agent back in D.C told us.

"Alright. Let's do this." Zach said, and I drove off of the tarmac and onto a narrow back road leading out onto a quiet street.

"We're heading West correct?" I asked him as I drove on, merging onto a lane leading to the highway.

"Yeah. The distance from here to the safehouse is about three hours, so we'll be on this highway for some miles." he said, and a small part of me wished I let him drive after all.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

One hour passed by.

Two hours passed by.

We drove and drove until we reached our exit, and kept driving until we came across a sign that read

" **DEAD END - TURN AROUND** ".

The sky was pitch black except for the stars that illuminated it. Barely any light shone on us as we drove towards the dead end. I was certain no one could see us.

A huge metal gate blocked us from moving forward, and an old, rusty padlock hung from it.

It looked abandoned. Dilapidated.

 _Perfect._

Zach stepped out of the car and walked to it, entering a passcode onto the old lock.

It snapped open, and he got back in the car.

"How did you know the code?" I asked, stunned as he sat back in.

He turned to me, smirked and pointed to himself.

"Spy."

We drove past the gate and I was fairly surprised that it closed itself and the lock reattached.

Up ahead in a clearing there was a modest looking ranch that we identified as the safehouse.

It looked like any other house; trees lined the driveway and a tiny garden of flowers decorated the front and side of the house.

I pulled into the garage as the door rose up for us to enter. The ignition cut as I turned the car off and stepped out, surveying the garage to make sure we were alone.

Zach pulled our luggage out of the back and walked over to the door leading into the house. He turned the knob and entered and I followed him inside.

The house was beautiful. Cherry hardwood floors flowed throughout the house, complimenting the contemporary décor. There was a fireplace in the living room, and a small note next to it that read "turn the key to the right to light the fire."

I walked over to it, pulled a slip of Evapopaper from my jacket and began writing.

" _We've just arrived. Awaiting update._ " _-Chameleon, Blackthorne_

I placed the paper in the unlit fireplace and turned the key to the left, knowing that would send the dead drop to the CIA.

Zach came over with two mugs filled with hot chocolate in his hands. The sight made me laugh.

"You don't strike me as the type to drink hot chocolate," I teased as he handed me one.

"I wasn't, until I tried it at your school." he said as he brought his cup to his lips and took a sip.

An unimpressed look crossed his face and he set the mug into the cup holder on the couch.

"And I might not be anymore."

I laughed again. "No one's food is as good as the Grand Hall's," I said. "except Gordon Ramsay."

Zach smiled and continued to gaze at me.

I had gotten used to his stares by now. (I mean, I _had_ endured about five years of it.)

But something about the way he was looking at me now felt different.

Normally his eyes held some concern or deviousness and on occasion, a bit of teasing.

But right now, all his eyes seemed to indicate was admiration.

Awe.

And a little bit of……. love?

I mentally shook my head.

There's no way. There's absolutely no way Zachary Goode, Joe Solomon's protege and possibly one of the best spies of his age was in love with me.. right?

Suddenly all that experience that I had of him staring at me didn't matter, because I started to squirm under his gaze.

And just like that, it was over.

Because his smile disappeared and his smirk reappeared as he reached for the remote and turned on the tv hanging over the fireplace.

"Why so quiet Gallagher Girl? Non-existent cat named Suzie got your tongue?"

Yup. Moment over.

"No," I retorted, rolling my eyes. How many times had I heard _that_ _one_ from him?

"I was just waiting for you to turn on the TV." I said, turning to watch the screen. The channel was on the news, and from the corner of my eye I watched Zach listen intently to the information being reported.

An hour came and went and we were still in the living room, the TV blaring in front of us. Zach had switched to a different channel but my mind was stuck on the look he had given me earlier.

It was a look I had never seen in his eyes before, and my mind was fixated on it like it was stuck on a replay button.

Pushing myself off the floor, I grabbed my mug and walked to the kitchen to wash it, calling over my shoulder at Zach.

"I'm gonna go shower and go to sleep. See you in the morning." I said as I put the mug in the dishwasher, picked up my luggage from the front of the staircase and started for the bedroom.

"Goodnight." I heard him say, before I walked up the stairs and into the bedroom.

Panic ran through me as I realized there was only one bed in the room, and I immediately began planning an excuse as to why Zach would have to sleep on the couch.

'I'm sick.' I thought. I doubted he would care.

'I'm on my period.' Too awkward/uncomfortable for both of us.

'I have never slept in the same bed as another man and I am not going to start with one as crafty as Zach.' ….Too personal.

I racked my brain for another excuse before I turned around and started out the door and into the hallway.

And then I saw it:

Another bedroom across the hall and a guest bathroom right next to it.

"Oh thank goodness!" I whispered, relieved as I turned back into the bedroom I came from and closed the door.

I stepped into the bathroom, took a quick shower and put my hair into another messy bun before I plopped on the bed, turned off the lamp on the side table next to me and sank under the comforter.

I heard Zach's footsteps come up the stairs and enter the room across from mine before my mind relaxed and I closed my eyes.

The look of Zach's gaze entered my mind once again before my body drifted to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up to the smell of bacon burning and coffee brewing.

Zach was up.

Zach was up, cooking breakfast in the kitchen!

And that thought alone is what jolted me out of my bed and into the kitchen, to see a messy-haired Zach with a spatula in one hand and the handle of the frying pan in the other.

He looked over his shoulder at me and grinned.

"Morning Gallagher Girl. You look well," he said, and turned completely towards me.

It was then that I saw he was wearing an apron that presumably, belonged to the owner of the safehouse.

And apparently, the owner was Irish, because the apron said--

"Kiss me, I'm Irish!"

As the words came out of Zach's mouth, he moved closer to kiss me.

I instinctively sucked my lips in and covered them with my hands.

He looked amused.

"I haven't brushed my teeth yet." I admitted, and suddenly felt very childish.

Zach just chuckled and closed the space between us as he planted a kiss on my forehead instead, then turned towards the bacon.

"This is… uncharacteristic.." I said, trying to convince myself that the Zach in front of me with a corny apron and a giant grin on his face was the same Zach who broke out of a maximum-security facility in the Alaskan arctic.

As I watched him retreat, it all felt.. normal. Like we were a normal couple living a normal life in a normal house.

And as uncharacteristic as it was for us, I found myself hoping that one day our future would allow us to be together that way.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

I finished brushing my teeth and we were eating breakfast on the couch 15 minutes later, reading the dead drop update on the asset we were supposed to track.

"The Subject's name is Eli Stone, he's 29 years old.

He has dark curly hair, brown eyes, medium frame. The last time he was traced was Monday, July 17th. He was exiting a police station. An agent working undercover as a detective for the police agency claims he overheard Eli asking about a prisoner in the nearby jail." I read, turning to Zach.

"Name of the prisoner?" he asked, popping a strip of bacon into his mouth.

"There's no mention of it." I said, analyzing the information again.

"Sounds like he's trying to bust out a con." he said as his arms went behind his head and he leaned back into the chair. " _That's_ basic."

"Maybe.. But that sounds too simple.. he must be planning something bigger." I reasoned, and Zach nodded his head, contemplating.

"We can stake out the station he was last seen leaving... get some more information on what he could be planning." I suggested.

"We'll need a cover." Zach stated.

I thought for a second then glanced down at my clothes.

I didn't necessarily look the part of your average Afghan woman.

Which meant I could either go as a tourist and draw unnecessary attention to myself, or I could dress like the women in the country and go unnoticed.

You guess what I decided.

And that's how Zach and I ended up across the police station in the traditional garb of the Afghans.

He wore a black turban with a long, black top and pant while I sported a white turban and a white floor-length dress.

We sat at a café not far away from the station, sipping our drinks and checking the nearest reflective surfaces for Eli.

People came in and out, but none of them fit his description.

An hour passed by, and part of me was convinced we weren't going to get anywhere in this mission.

And then I saw it.

A woman emerged from the building across from us with a file in her hand.

The woman from D.C.

I nudged Zach's leg with my foot discreetly and he turned to face me, with an eyebrow raised and a smirk plastered on his face.

"Playing footsie?"

"The woman from D.C is here!" I whispered in Farsi, and all traces of mischief left his face.

"Where?"

"She just exited the station. She's heading towards a black Camaro." I said as I stood up, pulled Zach's arm and followed her from a distance.

She weaved in and out of the passerbys as Zach and I tailed her.

I recognized her walk, and the suspicion I had that she was familiar only solidified in my mind.

She turned the corner into an alleyway and got into a tinted Camaro, and despite the dark tint that covered the car, for a split second I saw the frame of another person in the passenger seat.

Zach and I followed at a distance and hid behind an empty dumpster a few feet from the woman.

"She's not alone." I whispered to him, keeping my eyes trained on the car. "Which means there could be more of whoever they're working for here."

Irony is a funny thing.

It always knows exactly when to strike.

Because as soon as the words left my mouth, I felt Zach's arm come around me and his hand cover my mouth, and I watched as a man stepped out of the shadows of the alleyway towards the woman in her car.

A man with dark curly hair and a medium frame.

A man who was last seen on July 17th.

A man named Eli Stone.

The sun beamed on a sliver of his clothes, revealing a gun tucked neatly into his side pocket.

The Camaro sparked, and Eli's walk turned into a sprint as he chased after the car, reaching for the gun.

The car picked up speed as Eli fired, missing the woman driving but hitting her side view mirror.

I leaned forward considerably to get a glimpse of the driver before Zach roughly jerked me back, hissing "What are you doing?!" in my ear.

But I didn't hear him.

Because as fast as he pulled me back, he didn't pull in time for me to not see the woman adjust the mirror in the car and lock eyes with me.

And I stared into the eyes of a woman I had least expected to see.

The eyes of a woman I had last seen on an extraction mission in Rome.

The eyes of Abigail Cameron.

 **A/U: Sorry if the "traditional" outfit isn't true to its nature, I tried to describe it to the best of my ability with a lack of being able to research it. Hopefully I'm not offending anyone.**


	7. Chapter 7

There are a number of words that could be used to describe how I felt in that moment.

Shock.

Disbelief.

Denial.

In that moment, I felt them all.

I watched the car drive out of the alleyway onto a quiet street.

Eli kicked the ground in frustration and mumbled something inaudible from our distance before walking further down the alleyway. Wordlessly Zach and I slowly crept out from behind the dumpster and followed.

He turned a corner and walked a few blocks until he blended in with the crowd of people surrounding him. We did the same, only slowing down our pace when necessary to avoid suspicion.

I could hear Zach speaking to me as we followed, but I couldn't focus on his words.

My mind kept replaying the scenario moments before of my aunt speeding out of the alleyway with an unknown man in the passenger seat.

Questions raced through my mind as I tried to make sense of what just happened.

Why was she in the same place as Eli? A rogue?

Who was in the car with her?

Why wasn't I briefed that she would be in Kabul as well?

More questions clouded my mind, but I was snapped out of my thoughts as Zach snapped at me and I realized I had been walking without really seeing.

Eli was no where to be seen.

"Cammie what are you doing? You almost got us caught!" Zach whispered in Farsi, and I saw a few people turn to look at us. I was certain they couldn't understand what he was saying, but that's never stopped a nosy person from trying.

His voice was low but carried a harshness that seemed to jolt me out of my thoughts as I turned to him.

"I… I just.. the woman in that car was Abigail." I said, still not believing the words coming out of my mouth.

Zach ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Are you sure?" he asked, and I nodded my head silently.

"When I leaned forward she was fixing her mirror and I recognized her immediately." I said, looking around for Eli again. "Why would she be in the same place as the rogue asset we're supposed to tail?" I asked myself again, but Zach heard me.

"Don't think that way Cammie." he said, reaching for my hands. "Don't allow yourself to start questioning whose side she's on. She's on ours."

"We don't know that Zach!" I yelled in a hushed tone as I snatched my hands away from him. Frustration and disbelief coursed through my veins, fueling my distrust in everything I'd ever known my aunt to be.

"Cammie-"

"Think about it Zach." I started, "She's never around any other time besides when we're close to tracking down the Circle's next move. When the Circle was tying up its loose ends and we had to fly to Rome to save Preston, _she_ was _already_ there."

"After that we never saw her. Now _six months later_ she shows up in the VERY country and the _same_ alleyway that a rogue asset is in? Forgive me if I have my doubts."

"He shot _at_ her Cammie. He wouldn't do that if they were on the same side." Zach tried again, but I wasn't having it.

My suspicions were crazy. I knew that.

Abigail Cameron was a Gallagher Girl who fought fiercely for good. I knew that.

But actions speak louder than words. And right now, her actions said the opposite.

"Who was the other person in the car?" he asked, exasperated.

I shook my head. "I didn't see them. I only saw her."

Zach turned me to face him, and asked the one question I wasn't expecting.

"If it was Joe Solomon in that car with her, would you distrust him also?"

I stared at the man who had been with me through everything.

The man who proved he and Mr. Solomon weren't working for the Circle when everyone else doubted.

The man who had given me every reason to believe what he said as true.

The words came out as barely a whisper.

"I don't know what to believe anymore."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

It was dark on the drive back to the safehouse, and Zach remained silent the whole ride as he drove on. I didn't bother speaking again.

He parked wordlessly in the garage and was silent as he entered the house with myself in tow.

I walked past the living room and out the door leading onto the porch, staring up at the full moon that shone over the acres of grass.

A cool breeze blew, and I shivered in the darkness of the night.

I didn't speak when I felt his arms go around me. And I didn't speak as I felt his head rest on mine, a sigh escaping his lips.

I did speak when I felt him kiss the top of my head.

"I'd trust her." I said, pausing to make sure I believed it. "If Mr. Solomon was the one with her, I'd trust her."

"She's not the bad guy Gallagher Girl."

I turned around in his arms and rested my head on his chest. I heard his heart beat as he wrapped his arms tighter and I closed my eyes and whispered against him.

"I know."

But I wished I felt it.


	8. Chapter 8

That night I dreamt I was back in a cell.

A dark, dingy, concrete cell, bound to a metal chair. Gashes ran down my arms and my head was throbbing from a huge knot that sat perched on my temple. My feet were bare, my ankle was broken, and my body was far too lean.

I looked around the room and caught sight of myself on a broken shard of glass lying on the ground. My once shoulder-length, dishwater blonde hair was jet black and barely reached past my ears. My face was a pale, sickly color and my lips were cracked.

The sound of a woman laughing rang through the air as my cell opened and a light pierced my eyes, intensifying a headache I hadn't really felt until then.

"Oh, it's _so_ nice to see you again Cammie." The voice I'd come to know and hate spoke to me. But I didn't face her. "How nice of you to do the work for us and come here all _alone_." She said the last word slowly, emphasizing every syllable.

I looked up defiantly at my boyfriend's mother. Pain shot through every ounce of my body, but as I looked at her, adrenaline coursed through me, willing me to lunge at her.

But I wouldn't.

It wasn't the time.

She walked over to me and fingered my hair. I shuddered at the touch. "I don't blame you for leaving." she said as she walked around my chair and stood behind me. "You were smart to know you couldn't trust anyone. Solomon taught you that much."

"You don't know Joe Solomon!" I spat as I tried to lunge for her. Rage filled me as I thought of the man who almost died for me in the tombs. I tried to lurch forward in the chair but my body was too weak. Too fragile. And I couldn't do anything but fall back into the metal chair I was chained to, coughing and heaving from the physical effort.

Catherine laughed an evil, taunting laugh. "Don't I? I trained him after all." She was in front of me now as she leaned down until we were eye level.

"That doesn't mean anything." I said defiantly.

Her face hardened as her eyes bore into mine.

"Oh, I think it does Cammie. Tell me, why didn't you bring anyone else along on your journey? Hmm?" she circled my chair again. "Surely you could have brought your mom or your aunt with you couldn't you?"

I didn't say a word.

"Oh, don't tell me… you were you afraid I would hurt them?" she asked, feigning offense that the thought had even crossed my mind.

"I can assure you Cameron, that _I_ wasn't the one who killed your father." she said as she stopped circling and stood in front of me with her back turned.

She was lying. I knew she was about to lie. But for some reason my heart held on to the small hope that she was going to tell me something about my father.

Call it desperation.

Call it heartache.

Call it whatever it was that prompted me to remain silent and let her finish.

Whatever it was, it faded away and turned into numbness as she turned around with a file in her hand, opened it up and showed me the one thing I didn't expected to see.

My father.

She held up a file with a picture of my father calling someone. Then she turned the page and I saw a picture of my aunt.

"Do you know where your father was in this picture?" she asked me. I couldn't move. More or less speak.

"He was in Rome. He called your aunt to tell her he had a lead on how to destroy the Circle." she paused, letting the words sink in. "And he asked your aunt to come to Rome. But she never came."

 **Rome**.

I'd seen a look pass on my aunt's face every time the city was mentioned but I never asked why.

I wasn't going to believe Catherine.

I wasn't.

But the fact remained that until then, no one had bothered to explain what happened to my father before he went missing.

And call it whatever it was that made me hang on to every word she said, but I couldn't bring myself to stop listening.

"Something as big as finding out how to bring down the Circle… and she wouldn't come.." she said, lingering on every word.

"Why would she do that Cammie?" she asked, her eyes burning into mine.

"She was busy." I said. It was a weak reason, and even then I doubted it.

My mind was racing, trying to make sense of it all.

I knew Catherine lies.

 _Her own son_ , who's known her all her life told me she lies.

But she was holding up evidence.

Evidence I thought may have been true.

Because despite her lies, and despite her deceit, the fact of the matter was actions spoke louder.

And every time the city of Rome was mentioned, my aunt did one or all three things:

Fidget.

Change the topic.

 ** _Lie._**

And every spy knows those are tell-tale signs that someone is not telling the truth.

Someone was living a cover.

Someone was hiding something.

"No. No! You're wrong!" I screamed, fighting to break out of the chair.

All of a sudden I was flying, soaring out of the Circle's hands and lying in a convent in the middle of the Alps.

A girl named Mary was bandaging my bruises while three other women stood in the doorway watching me. Two of them spoke in Russian to each other while the other remained silent. Mary finished bandaging me and walked me outside, onto the snowy alps where I heard a helicopter rumbling. I turned towards it, recognizing the two faces that were staring at me, relief and happiness showing on their faces.

I screamed at the woman I recognized as my mother, running towards her with my arms open wide, then stopped cold when I saw the other woman who I recognized as my aunt coming towards me.

"No… no! Get away! You killer!" I yelled as they enclosed on me.

Tears ran down my cheeks as I fought against them, throwing all the strength I had into my fight.

"Cammie. Cammie it's okay." I heard a voice say, but I kept struggling to get out of their grasp.

"Cammie wake up. It's okay. Its okay." I heard as my eyes shot open and my eyes adjusted to the black. Zach was looming over me, one hand cupping my face as the other held me down. "It's okay. You were having a nightmare." he said, stroking my hair.

I looked up at him, trying to steady my breathing. "Zach?" I asked, too tired to sit up.

"It's me Gallagher Girl. You're safe." he said, smoothing my hair and squeezing my hand.

"What happened?" I asked, realizing I had soaked my pillow with my tears.

"I heard you screaming. You said something about your aunt and Rome." he said, and the dream came flooding back. "What were you dreaming about?" he asked, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him.

He lifted me so that I was sitting up on the bed and pulled me into his arms.

"Cammie, you can tell me anything." he reassured, and just knowing he was there for me made me ease up a little as I relaxed in his embrace.

"I know.. but just..not right now." I said, closing my eyes once again, just wanting to stay in the moment forever. "Please."

I felt him nod, and I allowed my body to start falling into slumber.

"...alright. But don't be surprised if I have to use force to get you to talk.."

I heard him say, before my body drifted to sleep.

 **A/N: Hey guys! I hope this chapter helps to clear any confusion that may have come from the last chapter. We have a twist hehehe.. Abigail is not who she seems to be..** **One of you suggested having Macey and the gang come interrogate Cammie with the truth serum. I think that's an excellent idea. ;) I'll use it in the upcoming chapters so thank you.** **In September they may be delayed, but I will make sure to try and finish this story. Thanks again for all the reviews and suggestions! I'll try to incorporate them in. Just a note though, I'm not going to make them curse or do anything really wild, so please keep that in mind with the suggestions. I'm trying to keep them like the book, so... No OOC. Thanks!** **Disclaimer: Ally Carter owns the Gallagher Girls.**


	9. Chapter 9

I woke up because I heard voices.

Zach wasn't holding me anymore, and was nowhere in the room.

Slowly, I sat up, careful not to make a sound as I listened to the voices speaking.

"She's asleep right now, but I'm sure she'll be waking up soon."

"Is she okay?" I heard a familiar voice ask. Quietly, I pushed myself off of the bed and tip-toed towards the slightly cracked door.

"She's okay physically, but I think she has some concerns she's not telling us." I heard Zach say, and I discreetly stepped out the door and looked down the stair railing.

I saw three pairs of feet and nothing else. But that was all I needed.

I'd recognize those expensive pumps and pink flats anywhere.

Macey and Liz were here.

Macey and Liz were here, in Kabul!

'Zach called them?' I thought to myself, wondering how they managed to travel 17 hours in the 8 hours that I slept.

"What do you mean she has some concerns she's not telling us?" I heard Macey ask, and Zach sighed.

"On the way to the airport in D.C she saw a brush pass between a woman and some man and was suspicious about it, but I said it was nothing. Then yesterday we tailed the rogue my dad sent us to follow and we found Abby in the same alleyway as him. She was wearing the same outfit as the woman in D.C."

I heard Liz gasp.

"Were they exchanging information?" Macey asked, and I saw Zach's foot shift onto the other. I wondered how long they'd been there talking before I heard them.

"Not that we saw. She got in the car and drove off while he shot at them." he said, and I heard the tone in Macey's voice shift.

" _Them_?" she asked.

"Cammie says she saw a shadow of another person in the passenger seat."

"So she thinks Abby is bad?" I heard Liz ask, the shock obvious in her voice.

"That's what it seems… after we lost the Subject she kept ranting about how her aunt is never around besides when we're close to tracking down the Circle."

I saw him sit down on a side chair. He looked tired in a way that had nothing to do with the hour.

"I think when the Circle had her they put those thoughts in her head. It never occurred before then."

He face held such a deep sadness when he spoke, as if he personally felt guilty for it all.

"She had a nightmare last night.. I heard her screaming so I ran into her room and she was crying… fighting off someone in her sleep. She was yelling something about Rome and her aunt. I heard her say 'get away, you killer'... I think she was talking about Abby."

In an instant, his face changed, and sprouted some sort of determination, as if he wasn't sad just moments before.

"And that's why we have to find out what the Circle told her."

"But why would she believe what they said? We know they lie." I heard Liz ask, and I felt humiliation wash over me.

Zach stood up, and from his location I could see his face as he looked at Macey and Liz and told them what I knew to be true but couldn't bring myself to believe.

"They do lie. But that doesn't mean they make it unbelievable."


	10. Chapter 10

I couldn't watch anymore.

But I couldn't hide.

Because the sun was coming up, and soon I wouldn't have the darkness to cover me.

So I tip-toed back into my room and headed for the bathroom, stopping to look at myself in the mirror.

My eyes, that I assume were red hours before, were pink and puffy. My hair was messy from turning around in my bed, and I had tear streaks on my face. I absolutely could not go downstairs in my condition.

So I opted for a quick shower to get myself in normal shape and to alert the others that I was awake. Then I hopped out and brushed my teeth and began making my way downstairs.

Zach was in front of the fireplace, checking for a dead drop update. I scanned the room for Macey and Liz, but they were no where to be found.

"Good morning Zach.." I said, and he turned to face me.

"Hey.." he said, walking towards me before pulling me into a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." I said, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to return the hug.

Something just felt… different.

And I don't know if it was because I knew he, Macey and Liz had just seen me vulnerable,

Or because I felt something sharp prick me in the back of my arm.

But whatever it was, I didn't like it.

"Ow!" I said, pulling out of Zach's embrace and reaching for my pricked arm. His face had the look of utter shock and disbelief and I realized whatever it was that just happened, he wasn't expecting it.

"Sorry Cam, but we had to test out the serum Liz gave you." I heard Macey say, and I whipped around to see a very familiar looking syringe in her hand, and a very apologetic looking Liz standing behind me. "Zach had no part in this by the way, so don't be mad at him."

I closed my eyes, trying to calm my nerves.

I was so tired of things seeming familiar.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

I was sitting on the couch 15 minutes later with a mug of hot chocolate in my hands (courtesy of Zach), and a headache from what I knew was about to occur. (Courtesy of Macey and Liz.)

Zach sat beside me, holding my free hand and rubbing circles on it to relax me. Macey and Liz sat on the couch adjacent to us, a pen and paper in Liz's hands.

"Now Cammie," Macey spoke, and I forced myself to look at her. "How old are you?"

"20." I responded.

"Good. How was your flight here?" she asked.

"It was fine. There wasn't much to watch on the tv. I was just happy Zach was with me."

Liz giggled, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Zach smirk.

I cringed internally. Liz's serum was stronger than I anticipated.

"How are you now?"

"Irritated, because I knew you all were going to do this."

Macey raised an eyebrow. "How did you know we were going to?"

"I heard you all talking when you thought I was asleep."

Macey and Liz exchanged a look, then turned back to me.

"Then you should know what this is about." Macey said. I didn't respond.

"How did you sleep last night?"

"I had a nightmare."

"What was it about?"

"My time with the Circle."

Zach stopped rubbing my hands. I didn't turn to look at him, but I knew he was sitting stoically. Waiting.

"What happened in your dream?"

"I had a flashback.. Catherine showed me a photograph of my father in Rome before he went missing.. And a picture of my aunt. She said my father called her and told her to meet him in Rome... but she never showed up." I looked at the ground.

"Then he went missing."

"So you think she killed him?" Liz asked.

The uncertainty in my voice was obvious as I replied.

"I don't know but…. she was the only one who he told he was in Rome. No one else could find him for weeks."

My eyes found Zach's as I said the words I was afraid to believe.

"I think she may have.. told someone where he was."

The room was silent as I finished my theory.

Zach sat with his head low, and Liz had stopped writing. Macey was quiet, which was NOT her nature.

And that, is what scared me.

"It's crazy right? I mean, there's no way that could be true…. right?" I asked them, desperate for someone to tell me something different from what I was thinking.

Macey sighed and shook her head.

"That's the thing Cam.. It actually sounds plausible."

Then it was my turn to be shocked.

"Wait you don't actually believe Cammie's aunt is with the Circle do you?" Zach asked, incredulous.

"It sounds crazy, but it does match up with what Abby told us before we went to Mr. Solomon's cabin." Macey said, and all of our attention turned to her.

"She said she was _late_ in coming, not that she _wasn't_ coming." Liz chimed in.

"If she was really a part of the Circle she would've came immediately, to make sure he didn't bring them down." she pointed out, and I felt myself relax slightly.

Liz isn't the _strongest_ Gallagher Girl to have ever attended our school.

I mean, the girl once had to sit out a class in PE for spraining her ankle.

 _Doing jumping jacks_.

But one thing was for sure:

She was one of the smartest.

The Circle wouldn't steal just anyone's idea for starting World War Three after all.

So that's why as the words left her mouth, I could do nothing but sit in the couch, trying to make sense of everything.

"So my aunt was the only one who knew where my father was weeks before he went missing.. He told her to come meet him in Rome.. she didn't-"

"But was planning to!" Liz piped in.

"-but was planning to," I continued, recounting the facts. "She just ran late. Then, four weeks later, he went missing. … So what held her up? And who else would have known that he was in Rome to make him disappear?" I asked.

We were quiet, thinking silently before Macey sprung up, as if she had a 'Eureka!' moment.

"Cam, remember after she told us about Rome and we all got on a plane with Townsend to go to there?"

I nodded.

"She and Townsend were arguing about Buenos Aires and a mission they were on. A mission where Abby saved his life. Maybe she couldn't leave for Rome because Townsend needed her then."

I saw Zach slowly nod from the corner of my eye, and a hopeful smile spread on Liz's face.

"Okay.. that could be true. So that leaves us with who else would have known that my father was in Rome?"

All of a sudden it hit me.

As if a ton of bricks came crashing down on me.

 _Catherine_.

Catherine would have known!

"Catherine!" Zach and I said at the same time, and I saw the lightbulb go off in Macey and Liz's head.

"You said she was holding up a picture of your dad _in Rome_." Zach emphasized. "The only way she would have a picture of him in Rome would be if she was also there and secretly took it."

"She tricked you." he said, and I felt the strangest smile form on my face.

"She tricked me.." I mumbled, and a mixture of relief, happiness, and rage flowed through me.

"The serum is running out." I heard Liz whisper to Macey. "The happiness after-effect is kicking in. That's the only reason she's not livid right now."

Macey nodded and turned to me.

"So Cammie. Do you think your aunt is with the Circle?" she asked once again.

I shook my head, feeling the happiest I'd felt in a while as I replied.

"No. … no I don't."

"Good. Then I think our work here is done." Macey said, and I had just started to get up and leave when she asked one final question.

"Oh Cammie, before you go," she started, "just for my curiosity, what are you and Zach going to do after this mission? Romantic getaway for two? Secret rendezvous?"

Liz went red.

Macey grinned.

Zach smirked.

I sat there, perfectly normal as I responded, "Not that I know of, but if Zach has one I would love that." I flashed my biggest smile at him and heard Macey chuckle.

"I'll see what I can do about that Gallagher Girl." he said as he stood up and kissed my forehead before turning for the garage, calling over his shoulder at Macey and Liz.

"Thanks for showing up you two, we'll see you after the mission." he said as he opened the garage door and gestured their way out.

"That truth serum is pretty awesome Liz." I heard Macey whisper, nudging her shoulder. "I really like the happy after effect."

"Thank you. It's the only reason she didn't try to kill you just now." she whispered back, and I watched them head towards the garage door, only stopping to hug me before exiting the safehouse.

"You've got some good friends you know," Zach said as he shut the door and walked towards me. "They really care about you. They flew all the way here for you."

"I've got a great boyfriend too." I said, offering a smile.

He returned the smile and ruffled my hair before wrapping his arms around me in an embrace. He kissed the top of my head and I felt myself melt as I wrapped my arms around him and closed my eyes.

But unlike before, it didn't feel different this time.

It felt blissful.

It felt comforting.

It felt _safe_.

Zach felt safe.

 **A/N: Starting September chapters will be delayed. But the good new is I'll probably upload two at a time so hopefully that makes up for it. Thank you all for the reviews!** **Disclaimer: Ally Carter owns the Gallagher Girls.**


	11. Chapter 11

That following afternoon there was a dead drop in the fireplace.

A simple, general message was written on it:

'Hey Squirt. Saw you around. Meet me at the last place you saw me.'

It was a message from Abby.

I wasn't surprised that she sent me a message.

No, that wasn't it.

I was surprised that she knew where we were staying.

Zach seemed to be caught a little off-guard as well as we sat in the car and headed to the alleyway near the police station we'd staked.

And the surprises seemed to keep coming when a familiar black Camaro pulled into the alleyway and my aunt stepped out.

With Joe Solomon.

It had been months since I'd seen him last. Of course, the last time I'd seen him he'd been standing in the courtyard of the Gallagher Academy, marrying my mother.

That was 6 months ago.

But he hadn't changed at all in those six months. He was still the collected, serious-natured Cove-Ops teacher I remembered him to be. His scars had all faded away, except for a small line that ran across his left forearm.

He was healthy.

He was back to his caliber.

And he was here in Kabul, staring straight at Zach and I.

"Cameron, Zach," he said in Farsi as we got out the car and slowly approached him.

Like I said earlier, it had been months since I'd seen him last, and the last time I saw him, _he was marrying my mother_. After that, spying pretty much took up most of my time. Which meant I hadn't had any time to figure out how to address my new step-father/old Cove-Ops teacher.

So as I stood there, trying to figure out how to respond to his greeting, my mind only settled on the one I'd been saying for years:

"Mr. Solomon." I replied, and saw Zach glance at me from the corner of my eye.

If he felt any disappointment from me failing to call him a fatherly title, he didn't show it. Instead he nodded towards Zach, who had just responded to his greeting with a simple "Joe," not missing a beat like the trained operative I knew him to be.

Abby walked closer towards us and I felt an uncomfortable feeling rising in my stomach.

Watching her felt reminiscent of the flashback in my dream, but now I didn't doubt her intentions, and that was the cause of my discomfort.

I no longer felt suspicion towards her.

I felt guilt.

"Hey squirt," she said as she came over and pat my head. "I had a feeling I'd see you here."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, her mischievous gaze meeting my serious one.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm on a mission. You're not the only one who was sent to Kabul," she said, walking over to Mr. Solomon and putting her arm on his right shoulder. "Me and the brother-in-law are tracking down the prisoner your subject is working with."

"He's in the jail 11 miles from here." Zach stated, and Mr. Solomon leveled a stare at him.

"He escaped yesterday."

Abby removed her arm from Mr. Solomon and closed the space between she and I with a few steps.

"And that's where you two come into play." she said as she looked between Zach and I. "We know you two are tailing the subject. What update do you have on him?" she asked.

I felt dumbfounded.

"We don't have anything so far besides his record." I started, feeling like I barely had anything to offer. "The last we saw him was after he shot at you in the car."

Abby looked a little disappointed as she took a step back from me.

"Who is the prisoner?" Zach asked, and Abby turned her attention to him.

"He's an arms smuggler from Bahrain." she said easily, as if she'd said 'he's a candy shop owner from Canada'. And I guess to her, there wasn't really that much of a difference.

"He was caught selling guns and ammunition without a license to your subject a few months ago, and when the police raided his house, they found pounds of chemicals that are only used for nuclear weapons."

"Turns out when the guy's record was checked, he was already charged with attempted terrorism and was given some years without trial or bail. But he escaped and fled his country, then got caught here and was put in jail."

"And now he's out." I finished for her, and she turned and winked at me.

"Bingo."

"Sounds typical." Zach said, crossing his arms and leaning against the hard tiled wall.

"Oh, make no mistake agents," Mr. Solomon said, taking a step towards us, "this is not your average enemy."

"He is trained indeed and capable of much damage as you'd expect, but he is also one of the longest known members of Blackthorne." he said, and I saw Zach shift off of the wall and stand upright.

"As you know, Blackthorne is capable of many different lethal and diabolical methods." he continued, "and although he was not a member of the Circle, he might as well should be. He's remained in the school from early teenage years until 20, so have no doubt that he is very dangerous indeed."

He stared straight at me as I stood there, listening to his every word as if I was back in Gallagher, preparing for another assignment.

"So please proceed with caution Cameron. Zachary."

He finished, and the sound of my full name coming out of his mouth was one I don't think I'd ever get used to.

"Let us know if you find anything." Abby said as she hugged me before turning back to the Camaro. Mr. Solomon walked over to Zach and held his shoulder for a brief moment before he came to me and hugged me. (Which let me tell you, has never, ever, ever happened.)

Then he turned and got in the car, and for the second time that week, I saw my aunt's eyes meet mine in her rearview mirror as she drove off.

Zach and I stood there, Mr. Solomon's words sinking into our heads. I turned towards him, and his eyes stayed trained on where the car drove off from, almost as if he were willing it to come back.

"Come on, let's get out of here." I said, reaching for his hand. He didn't say a word, and kept his eyes focused straight in front of him.

It was only when I turned to look at what he was seeing that I saw the familiar figure of Eli coming down the alley towards us.

It seemed too calculated that he would appear right after Abby and Mr. Solomon left; almost as if he were around the corner, listening to the entire conversation.

And that seemed plausible, especially when he opened his mouth and said, "Agent Cameron, Agent Zach. I knew I'd be seeing you two around."

Yeah. Definitely plausible.

Zach pivoted to shield my body from Eli as he reached his hand in his pocket.

"I'm not going to kill you two so stop worrying." he said, and pulled out a piece of Evapopaper. "I want your help." he said, balling up the piece of paper and throwing it at the floor near us.

"And why would we help you?" I asked, and Zach moved to block me further.

"Because I don't mean any harm." he said, kicking the ground with his shoe.

"I was buying weapons from an arms man until I found out he was selling them illegally. Then I stopped. But since I was involved in illegal activity the CIA cut its ties off with me. And now the guy is out of jail and I'm pretty sure he's not too happy with my abrupt leave. He probably even thinks I ratted him out." he mumbled, and turned his attention away from his shoe to us.

"So you want us to protect _you_?" Zach asked, almost chuckling at the thought.

"Why would we protect you?" I asked him. "You shot at two people two days ago. You're a rogue. Your story doesn't match up."

"They weren't just anyone my dear, they were two very dangerous people." he lied.

"They were two CIA agents." I countered.

Something shifted in his demeanor, so briefly that if I had blinked, there's no doubt I would have missed it.

In a split second his facade disappeared and a glint of rage sparked.

"Smart girl." he said, a menacing smile forming on his face as he took a step closer to us. "I wouldn't expect any less from a Gallagher Girl."

I felt surprised that he knew I was a Gallagher Girl, but I didn't show it.

Zach on the other hand had no problem saying how he felt.

"Your arms man is from Blackthorne, and he was found with components for nuclear weapons." he stated, leveling a glare at Eli. "And you no doubt have information on what's done at Blackthorne and know that your arms man is an attempted terrorist. Yet you teamed up with him."

"Oh, and the same thing can be said of you Zachary. And your friend Joe Solomon. You're both from Blackthorne. You know better than all of us the things that you do. And your little girlfriend behind you is no different. She knows your mother is part of the Circle yet she still works with you. The CIA knows what kind of person you are, what you've done in your past at Blackthorne as well, and yet, they still work with you." Eli countered, taking another step towards us.

"You can't trust anyone in this business. Anyone could be a double or even a triple agent. As for me… I'll let you figure out who I am."

I felt Zach's muscles tense as I stood behind him, and I knew he was feeling the same way I was feeling.

"You don't have to decide if you're going to help me now.." he said, taking a step away from us before he turned his back and started walking away.

"But just think about it. I'm not the bad guy. I want what you're fighting for."

And just like that, he turned the corner and was gone.

I bent down to pick up the piece of Evapopaper and stick it in my pocket until we were back to the safehouse. Zach moved away from me and walked to our car, not saying a word as he got in. I followed, and we drove back to the house, sitting in uncomfortable silence.

We'd heard enough for the day.


	12. Chapter 12

There are only a few instances I've seen Zach speechless. (They were that rare, believe me. It would have to be something _really_ big for Zach to not speak his mind on it.)

The first was after we escaped from the tombs and saw each other outside the infirmary in Gallagher. That was because.. well.. everything was too fresh. I'd just found out his mother was responsible for killing my father and that Zach was born into the Circle.

The second was right after he found out who his father is. Obviously, if you've never known your father or whether or not he's alive and suddenly he's in front of you after being absent for 18 years, needless to say, it's pretty rough.

And the third time: right now.

Zach cut the ignition as we parked in the garage of the safehouse. I turned to face him, but he was already opening his door and stepping out.

I called out to him, willing him to stop and tell me what was going through his head.

He didn't turn to me, and instead walked through the living room, through the door leading onto the deck and stood on the wooden floor, a dark silhouette in the moonlight.

I followed him silently at a distance, watching.

Gauging.

Discerning.

Because I may not have had expert experience in being a girlfriend, but I did know one thing.

Zach knew how to comfort me because he knew _when_ to step in.

He didn't forcefully attempt to comfort me right after the tombs. He waited until I was ready.

He didn't forcefully try to make me talk when I had my flashback about my aunt. He waited until I was ready.

So I wasn't going to forcefully get him to tell me what was racing through his mind. I would have to wait until he was ready.

So I did what I would want him to do if it was the other way around.

I walked up behind him, cautiously and quietly like a Chameleon, and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his back. I felt him stiffen at the unexpected touch, then relax and let out an exhausting sigh.

I didn't speak. I just kept my arms around his warm body, silently reassuring him that I was there. Physically and emotionally.

It turns out if you wait for Zach to speak what's on his mind after a particularly harsh reality without interjecting, it would take him 7 minutes and 42 seconds.

At 7 minutes and 43 seconds he spoke, and the words were some I was NOT expecting and NOT hoping not to hear.

"Cammie…" he started, and the uncertainty in his voice immediately alerted me that what he was about to say would not be good.

He didn't turn to face me, and I'm glad he didn't, because nothing could have prepared me as the words left his mouth and he said, "We really shouldn't be together.."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

I can promise you in that moment that my heart stopped.

Like, completely stopped working.

And it was my brain and my emotions that kicked in and took over for my heart that made me lift my head off of Zach's body and turn him (yes, I TURNED HIM) around to look me in my eyes.

"What?!" I practically yelled, not believing my ears.

He looked serious! There wasn't a hint of any light-heartedness or joking. Zach looked like.. like he'd already made up his mind.

"I'm not saying that we should break up Cam." he said, and my head was shrouded with confusion. He looked away from me, almost as if he couldn't bear being with me anymore. He untangled himself from my arms and put distance between us as he took a step away from me.

"Then.. then what are you saying.." I mumbled.

"I'm saying look at us! Look at the facts!" he yelled, and I saw a look pass over his face. A look that I'd only seen once before.

Guilt.

"Zach.." I soothed, immediately reaching for his hand. "Zach don't-"

"My mother is responsible for the death of your father." he started, looking away from me but keeping his hand in mine. "My mother is responsible for the scars on your skin. My mother is responsible for the nightmares, the flashbacks you have. The distrust in your own family members." he said, pulling his hand away and placing it in his pocket.

"I'm just as responsible for everything that's happened to you. You were only put in more danger because I started pursuing you and my mother knew you could be used against me. I shouldn't have allowed myself…." he rambled, turning to face the moon.

"Whether it's directly or indirectly, every bad thing that's happened to you is linked to me. We should not be together. You shouldn't be working with me." he said, lowering himself to sit on the steps leading off of the deck.

"And you associating yourself with me will only make people doubt who you really are. Just like the trustees did after your summer with the Circle. That guy's right." he finished, letting his head drop. "I'm just a bad guy."

I stood there, speechless.

Zach wasn't speaking as the calculated man I knew him to be.

He wasn't speaking as the highly trained spy.

He was speaking as the boyfriend of a girl who his mother had tortured for years.

The boyfriend of the girl who shouldn't have anything to do with him.

The boyfriend who felt guilty for ever exposing his girlfriend to the evils of his family.

Zach was vulnerable.

And as I looked at him, sitting on the steps of the deck, I realized I had only seen him like that one other time:

When Preston was confined in a maximum security prison because of his Circle lineage, and Zach felt that he should be locked in there as well.

The wind blew, tossing Zach's hair into a messy bunch as tiny drops of rain began to fall from the night sky.

And even as I stood behind him I could see he looked so alone. So lost.

So heartbroken.

I could only imagine what it must feel like to be Zachary Goode. Born into the Circle, introduced to such evil at a young age, trying to remain good in a world of wickedness spearheaded by his own mother.

He would always have people constantly judging him because of his background, even if he proved himself to be good. There would always be someone questioning his motives, doubting if he really had people's best interests at heart.

But I knew Zachary Goode. I knew he was a boy who fought against his own mother for years, trying to establish peace against her diabolical ways.

I knew he would accept death if it would ensure that the world would be safe.

I knew because I saw it with my own eyes in the tombs of Blackthorne, on a night so real and so raw I could never, ever forget.

So as I walked towards him, with tears brimming in my eyes, I didn't focus on how he felt I should feel towards him.

I focused on what I _did_ feel for him.

Empathy.

Compassion.

 ** _Love_**.

"Zach…" I whispered, kneeling down behind him and wrapping my arms around his shoulders, "I can't say that I know exactly how you're feeling." I said, choosing my words carefully as he listened.

"I can sympathize.. I can empathize.. I can put myself in your shoes and try to imagine how you must be feeling. But I can never really know _exactly_.. how you feel."

"And.. I know that what you're saying is a valid point.. But Zach, you have shown that you are not the bad guy. _Just because you were born into the Circle doesn't mean you are a bad guy._ " I reasoned, tightening my hold of him as I leaned my head into his back.

"You were willing to die that night in the tombs, because you knew that would end the madness the Circle was planning. _You were willing to die_ to make sure of it."

"You didn't try to save your mom when my school was burning down. Instead you helped Liz and came back to make sure I was safe."

"You can't choose your circumstances Zach.. I know that very well." I tried to chuckle.

"But you choose who you're going to be. Just like your mom was a Gallagher Girl and _chose_ to become a member of the Circle. She chose to be bad."

"You chose to be good.. And I really wish you would not only just _know_ that you are a good guy... I wish you'd start to _believe_ it. Because it's the truth." I said, loosening my hold on him as I leaned to kiss his cheek.

Down to this day I don't know how the words came out of me.

Maybe they were always there in my heart, just waiting for the right time to come out.

I don't know.

But I guess this was the right time.

Because as my lips left Zach's cheek and came near his ear before I stood up, three words naturally cascaded out, straight to Zach's ear.

"I love you."

And down to this day I don't know if Zach reacted out of emotion or understanding, (it could have been both,) but he lifted himself off the steps and turned to me, concentration etched on his face as his hand rose slowly towards me.

His arm wrapped around my waist as the other brought my head to his chest and we stood there, embracing in the drizzle of the rain, not saying a word. I felt his chest heave upwards in a deep breath before returning back down in a sigh.

"Cammie I…" he said, but his words caught.

I nodded into his chest, surprisingly calm for an unexpected love admittance on my part.

"I love you too." he said, and I didn't have to look up to hear the smile in his voice. "I've loved you for a while now.." he admitted, and it was my turn for a smile to form on my face.

"And Cammie.… thank you." he said, and I nodded into his chest again before lifting my head up to look into his dark eyes.

His eyes held a mixture of admiration, awe and love; the same look he'd given me days before.

And I knew what he was saying was true.

I pulled apart from his embrace slightly and reached for his hand to lead us back into the safehouse.

We walked through the living room, damp and slightly cold as we climbed up the stairway and shared a brief kiss before parting to our separate rooms.

I collapsed onto my bed, exhausted but happy, and drifted off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

I woke up early the next morning, before Zach, to examine Eli's note.

I sat on the couch, analyzing the piece of paper lying on the coffee table.

It had a simple message on it,

" _222-. If you decide to help._ "

I studied the paper as the time ticked by. It seemed so general. So harmless.

But something felt wrong.

And as I studied the tiny slip of wrinkled paper, I noticed something about it was off.

Every single piece of Evapopaper is designed the same way. They all have the same feel, the same look, the same design.

It's a soft, lint-like texture, (that's what makes it dissolvable,) with an off-white color. **That's it.**

But as I looked at the paper, I realized there was a tiny red dot in the center, about the size of a ball-point pen tip. I held the paper to my ear, and heard the softest hint of a rumble coming from the dot.

Quickly, I stood up and sped to the kitchen, not even stopping to greet Zach as he descended down the stairs.

"Easy Gallagher Girl, what are you rushing for?" he mumbled, the drowsiness audible in his voice.

"There may be a tracking device in the Evapopaper Eli gave us." I replied. Instantly Zach rushed over to the couch, all traces of sleep gone from him.

I sat next to him seconds later, with a small cup of water in my hands and a toothpick in the other. Zach dipped the toothpick in the cup, then carefully touched the small red object in the paper, making sure not to touch the surrounding paper.

Sure enough, the red dot started to flicker for a few seconds before stabilizing once again.

"It is a tracking device." he mumbled under his breath, irritation spreading on his face.

"We have to get it out of here quick!" I started, springing off of the couch and heading for the garage.

"No Gallagher Girl," Zach came up behind me, reaching for my hand and blocking the door. "When they see it moving they're gonna follow. I'll take it out and deal with them."

"They're going to come search the safehouse too Zach. It's not safe either." I reasoned.

"You'll be out by then. We have to get all the information that can compromise us out of here before we go, and if we both stay to do that, they'll get here faster." he countered, his gaze never leaving mine. "I'll hold them off."

"But-" I tried again.

"You're the Chameleon Gallagher Girl." he smiled, "You work best alone. And I have my comms; you can hear me all the way."

It was practical for us to split up.

But that didn't mean I wanted to.

However I knew Zach was right, and if we were going to sabotage Eli, we would have to have a plan.

So I nodded at Zach, and leaned in to kiss him as he brought his lips towards mine briefly.

"Be safe." I warned, and he smirked back at me.

"When have I ever been?" he smiled as his hands left mine and opened the garage door.

I glared at him and he laughed, a short, genuine laugh before opening the car door and getting inside.

The ignition cut on, and the window rolled down as he turned to face me. "Don't worry Gallagher Girl." he said, as the garage door opened and he slowly reversed out. "I love you."

And as serious as our dilemma was, a small, shy smile couldn't help but form on my face as I watched him wink at me. "I love you too." I called out to him before the car emerged from the garage and sped away.

I closed the garage exit and entry door, surveying the house for materials we may need. There was a small medical kit that I grabbed from a nearby shelf, along with the Comms unit we got back in D.C, Liz's (half-empty) truth serum, some Napotine patches and a duffel bag that I filled with non-perishable food. Hurriedly, I stuffed everything in the duffel bag, doing a final glance over to make sure we wouldn't be lacking any provisions.

It didn't take long to make sure everything that would link us to the safehouse was gone, and within 20 minutes I was getting ready to leave. I stepped through the living room for possibly the last time, reaching into my pocket to pull out a blank sheet of Evapopaper. I scribbled a brief message on it before placing it in the fireplace and turning left.

Then I stood up, grabbed the duffel bag and headed for the front door.

I opened it, stared at the darkening sky, took one step forward, and never looked back.


	14. Chapter 14

The constant sound of an engine rumbling served as a reassurance to me.

'Zach is still safe.' I told myself repeatedly, motivating myself to get to him faster.

It was close to two hours since we discovered the tracking device and departed the safehouse. (Well really one hour and forty seven minutes if we're being exact.) I'd travelled about 12 miles on foot, and was starting to get tired.

"Status update." I asked Zach, pressing on the Comms unit in my ear.

"I'm 7 miles east of the police station," he said. "There's a warehouse a couple miles away; I'm heading there."

I surveyed my surroundings. I was in the city, about a mile away from the station, and I knew I was getting close.

"I'll be there. I'm 6 miles away." I panted, weaving my way through the incoming passerbys towards a bike rental kiosk. "One bike please." I said to the small Middle-Eastern woman manning the booth. Quickly, I handed over a couple of bills as she nodded her head in agreement.

"See you soon Gallagher Girl." I heard Zach say through the comms as I paddled towards his whereabout.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

One mile passed.

Two miles passed.

Five miles passed.

I glanced at my surroundings that seemed to grow farther and farther away. The city was no longer near, and I estimated I had about 10 minutes left before I'd arrive at Zach's location.

And it was 10 minutes before arriving that I heard his engine cut and immediately panic surfaced within me.

"What's happening?" I asked him, willing my legs to paddle faster.

"I'm parked outside the warehouse. I'm going-… evapo-… warehouse…" he tried explaining, but his line was cutting and I couldn't hear him clearly.

"You're dropping the paper in the warehouse?" I tried.

No response.

"Zach!" I yelled.

And then I heard a raised voice. A deep, husky, heavily-accented Middle-Eastern voice, and another that I recognized to be Eli's. I paddled faster, ignoring the burning sensation shooting through my legs as I listened to the comms.

There was a struggle, and I heard a grunt from Eli as he and Zach battled. My eyes darted around me, trying to spot a warehouse anywhere in the clearing.

A gray building, about two-quarters of a mile away stood in the distance, and I mustered all my strength to paddle me faster, closer to Zach.

I practically threw myself off of the bike as soon as the wheels left the cemented street and rolled onto the grass surrounding the warehouse.

Static was the only thing audible in my comms as I rushed towards the three men inside. I barrelled through the door, scanning my eyes frantically until I spotted three pairs of feet two floors up.

Two pairs were standing.

One was lying on the ground, motionless.

I bolted up the stairs, the pain in my legs practically nonexistent as my adrenaline pushed me forward to see Eli and a very tall, very muscular man I assumed was his arms dealer.

Zach had a huge gash above his temple, and his left eye was beginning to swell as he stood hunched over, wincing in pain.

"Zach!" I screamed, running over to him as Eli stood across from him.

"Well isn't this touching." he mocked as I turned to face him. He had a long knife in his hand, the same one I assumed that injured Zach.

"The Gallagher Girl coming to help her Circle boyfriend. Tsk tsk tsk.." he stood there and sighed, shaking his head as if he was disappointed. "I thought you were smarter than that Cammie."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Your mission was what? To get weapons from him and then kill him?" I asked as I nodded towards the dead arms man lying at Eli's side.

"Something like that." he answered vaguely, his sinister smile never leaving his face. "Or maybe I just wanted to finally meet you. You're a very busy woman Cameron. And a very intriguing daughter."

My posture stiffened. I didn't say a word to Eli as I watched him turn his gaze from me to his knife.

"Your father was a very stubborn man." he said, twisting the knife over and over in his hands. "I knew him briefly, when I was around 20 or 21. He was so bent on stopping the Circle that he was willing to give his life to do it."

I kept my face emotionless as I watched him.

"But of course, he couldn't stop us." Eli said, a grin spreading on his face as he continued.

"Your father was the same Zachary." he said, peering behind me at Zach. "I'm sorry it had to end the way it did in Buenos Aires."

"You were the reason he was tied up in Rome.." I mumbled, the pieces coming together as I listened. "That's why Abby couldn't meet my father.."

"Of course," he said, laughing an evil laugh, "did you take me to be a weak asset Cameron? I'm the very best at my job. My dear Catherine knew that. I was always her favorite." he said, his eyes turning cold as they bore into my eyes.

"That's why I was the one assigned to Matthew."

I glared at him. I was finally standing face to face with the man who killed my father and who also tried to kill Zach's father.

Beside me I heard Zach's breathing become more labored, and I turned to him and noticed he wasn't just bleeding from his head.

His arm had a huge gash across it, and blood coated his hands as he held his injured arm.

"We have to get you out of here Zach." I whispered, reaching into my duffel bag in search of a gauze.

"I'm afraid you both won't be leaving here my dear." Eli interrupted my search as I snapped my attention to him. He took one step closer, and I adjusted my position to block Zach from him.

"Before your mother died we became aware that you rebelled against the Circle Zach." Eli said, his taunting smile lessening into a vengeful scowl. "And I'm afraid I can't let you leave here alive."

"You're going to have to get through me first." I growled, blocking Zach completely while I discreetly took a couple Napotine patches from my duffel bag before dropping the bag on Zach's feet.

"Ha! If that's what you wish Ms. Cameron. You wouldn't be the first Cameron I've dealt with." he said, closing the space between us as he lunged towards me with his huge dagger.

I moved to block him and counter his attack, bracing for the slicing pain that would come.

But it never came.

Because before I knew what was happening, Zach had side-stepped and moved in front of me, directly aligning himself with Eli as his knife came closer and made contact with him, piercing his chest.

And at that very moment, Abigail Cameron and Agent Townsend appeared out of nowhere, bolting up the stairs running straight towards Eli who stood there looking smug at his attack on Zach yet bewildered at the sight of my aunt and Townsend as they tackled him onto the ground and knocked him out cold with a couple Napotine patches and swift pressure to the sweet spot at the back of his neck.

And it was as if time slowed down as I watched all the chaos and pandemonium around me, but nothing commanded my attention like the sight of Zach crumpled on the ground, bruised and battered, looking up at me.

"Cammie…." he whispered, a thin line of blood trailing from his temple.

"I…." he tried.

But his words never came because his eyes fluttered shut, and his mouth went slack.

And I stood there, numb.


	15. Chapter 15

People who say that time doesn't exist, have obviously never felt it stop.

They've never been faced a split-second decision.

They've never seen their life flash before their eyes in that split second.

They've never felt that second end as time ran out.

And they've never felt their heart shatter, moments after.

Because if they _had_ felt that, they would have felt as Cameron Morgan did at that very moment.

That she hadn't acted quickly enough.

And they would have said the same thing that she said at that moment:

"I'm so sorry." She said, collapsing onto the ground next to a body. Tears ran down her cheeks as she pulled the body onto her lap and ran her hand across his bloody cheek. His left eye was swollen and a huge gash was above his temple. Blood poured down and she could feel a bruise forming at the back of his head.

"Zach…" she said.

His eyes fluttered open and a hint of a smirk appeared on his face.

"Gallagher Girl.." he whispered, lifting a bruised hand to rest on her face.

"I-" his eyes started to close and his hand started to fall. I gently grabbed it and placed it back on my cheek, willing him to finish his sentence before…

No.

"Zach! Zach stay with me!" I cried, my tears falling onto his face. His eyes opened slightly and refocused on me and a glimmer of hope ran through me.

"Cammie.." he started again, and I leaned closer to him until we were centimeters apart.

"I.. have always.. and will always... be.. in love…. with you.." he said, his words coming slowly as his breathing became increasingly more difficult.

"Zach.." I whimpered, moving my other hand to gently caress his face. "Zach I love you too.."

I saw the tiniest smile appear on his face and for a brief moment, I thought everything could still possibly end okay.

We could still make it out of our demise together, because Zach wasn't going to die in my arms.

But that's the thing about hope.

In an instant, it could disappear.

Because in that brief moment where I allowed myself to think Zach would be fine, his body went cold, and his eyes became glassy.

And I knew it was over.

"Agent Goode!" Townsend's voice screamed in front of me.

"Agent Morgan step away from Agent Goode! We have to transport him to the medical staff immediately!"

I slowly looked up to face my aunt and my boyfriend's father running towards us. My body felt numb, and all my strength left me as I whispered the words I didn't want to believe.

"It's too late… We were too late."

And my world came crashing down.


	16. Chapter 16

**Number of minutes I slept on the helicopter ride to the CIA's hospital/safehouse: 0**

 **Number of minutes it took to get there: 25 (If you aren't flying at a cruising speed. Otherwise it would be over an hour.)**

 **Number of times my aunt tried to convince me Zach would be fine: 20**

 **Number of times I believed her: 0**

 **Number** **of times Townsend tried to reassure me: 1**

 **Number of times I believed him: 1** (it sounded more reassuring coming from his father because.. well.. he'd just know those things)

 **Number of minutes I held Zach's hand: 25**

 **Number of times I almost cried holding his hand: 12**

Townsend steered the helicopter while Abby sat beside him in the cockpit. I sat in the back, watching Zach's chest rise unevenly as he took ragged breaths. His hand was cold in mine, but I felt a faint pulse beating and I knew he was still fighting.

Still alive.

"He's going to be okay squirt." my aunt said softly, and I tore my eyes from Zach to met her concerned ones.

"It's just... I've never seen him like.. this." I confided, turning my attention back to his bloodied body.

"I know squirt.. but since you had a spare medical kit with you in your bag, he should be recovering now even before we get to the hospital. .….. Now you know how he felt when you were like that." she said, and I realized then that I really _hadn't_ seen Zach so battered, so in need of medical attention.

It was me that was lying in a hospital bed after the tombs.

It was me that was lying on a stretcher in D.C.

It was always _me_.

And until now, I never really realized how hopeless it felt, to not be able to help the person you love as they lay there, bloody and unmoving.

And it sucked.

It really. **_sucked_**.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Townsend flew the helicopter towards a secluded island, barely noticeable in the gloom of the night. I felt the helicopter descend until it finally landed on the ground.

Carefully, he and Abby unbuckled their seat belts and carried Zach's body onto a stretcher, rolling him into the dark building that stood in front of us.

On any other occasion I would have been surprised to see my step-father waiting for us in the building.

But I was too weak. Too worried.

Too scared to lose another person I loved.

As Townsend and Abby rolled Zach into an operating room, Abby turned to block me.

"I'm afraid no one else but the surgical staff and family is allowed in there. You're going to have to wait out here."

I would protest, but I didn't have the strength to. Instead I just slightly nodded and turned towards the chairs in the lobby area, collapsing onto it.

Mr. Solomon walked over towards me, and sat in the seat two chairs away from me.

"How did you all know we were in the warehouse?" I asked him weakly. I could even bring myself to look at him.

"Zach activated the emergency distress button on your car." he said, his voice just above a whisper. "Abby, Townsend and I were the ones assigned to step in if it activated."

I sat there, staring at the cold tile floors that lined the hospital. I felt Mr. Solomon move closer into the seat next to me. His arm came around my head, pulling me to rest it on his shoulder. It felt fatherly and comforting, and tears burned in my eyes as the weight of Zach's situation and the nostalgia of losing my father came crashing onto me.

"Cameron," he said, moving to stroke my hair, "I've known Zachary for a long time. I know how he thinks… how he feels.. and what motivates him."

"He is an exceptional spy. Very calculated. Very precise. And his desire to fight for justice is very strong... but Cameron," he paused to add emphasis, "that is not what keeps a spy fighting."

"What is it that keeps a spy fighting Ms. Morgan?" he asked me, and it felt like I was transported 6 months back in time and sitting in my CoveOps class.

It was exactly what I needed.

"Motivation. CoveOps Lesson #10." I whispered, a small smile pulling on my lips at the memory.

"Correct." he said. "Every spy has their own personal motivation. And _that motivation_ is what keeps them going in the toughest situations."

"You need to know Cameron, that even though Zachary's desire to fight for justice is very strong, it is not his motivation."

He stopped stroking my hair. " _You_ are. _You_ are what keeps him alive." he said.

" _You_ are what keeps him fighting. _You_ are the reason he doesn't give up."

"And if Zach was willing to take a knife for you, and a bomb for you, to make sure you're safe," he said, lifting my head off of his shoulder to look me in my eyes, "He'll have no problem opening his eyes and seeing that _you are_ in fact safe."

I nodded my head, allowing his words to comfort me.

After all, my old CoveOps teacher/new step-father wasn't really the type to say something that had no basis.

He was a seasoned operative, one that's no doubt gone through this more than once. So I put my head back on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

"Thanks… Joe." I mumbled, and felt his hand resume stroking my head.

Then despite everything, I drifted off to sleep.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

I woke up an hour and a half later to Abby calling me inside Zach's operating room.

Quickly, I rushed into his room, and saw him lying on the hospital bed, bandaged and fragile. His left arm was wrapped tightly in gauze, as well as the area around his hairline, covering the bruise on his temple. The swelling on his left eye had started to reduce and his face looked calm as he lay there resting.

His shirt was removed, and a huge, blueish-purple scar stretched across his chest, just beneath his heart. It wasn't a pretty sight at all.

But he was alive.

And that was all that was needed to coax me over to him and cup his sleeping face in my hands.

"Zach.." I whispered, feeling my tears starting to come again.

"He's stable Ms. Morgan." I heard Townsend's voice say to me.

I watched Zach's chest rise very softly before dropping again. His body wasn't inhaling enough oxygen in one breath, and I knew then that Zach might be alive, but it would take a long, long time for him to ever be okay again.

"The doctors said Eli just missed his heart." Abby said softly, moving to the left side of Zach's bed; opposite my side. "Anywhere higher and it would have been fatal."

"He's got an injury on his arm, and a little bit of swelling on his head. But the Doc says those will heal."

I nodded then pulled my attention from Zach towards my aunt.

"Where is Eli." I asked, retracting my hands from Zach's face.

"He has been restrained and is being taken to Langley as we speak." Townsend replied. "All of us have... questions or concerns we'd like to infer him about."

I couldn't agree more.

Immediately my mind started to formulate what I would ask him until my attention was snapped back to Zach as we heard his heartbeat speed up on his monitor.

"Someone needs to get the doctor," I panicked, turning to my aunt and Townsend. "Something's wrong here! His heart is too stressed!"

Townsend and Abby fled the room, leaving me to determine what was happening to Zach.

His heart was beating at an unusual speed, and I bent down to smooth his hair and cup his face like he did to me before.

"It's okay Zach.. You're going to be okay. It's okay." I said over and over, and I found myself more or less trying to comfort myself as I repeated it.

I pulled up a chair and sat down in it next to him, gently leaning my head onto his as I closed my eyes. I put my hand in his right, unharmed hand, rubbing circles onto it.

"It's okay Zach.. don't worry. ….. I'm here. Your Gallagher Girl is here. It's okay…." I whispered softly into his ear, and it seemed like an eternity passed before I heard the monitor gradually start to slow down to a normal pace.

"It's okay.. I'm here. I'm here Zach.." I whispered, not even realizing Abby and Townsend had re-entered the room until I heard them speaking with the doctor.

"His heart returned to a normal pace?" I heard Townsend ask the doctor.

I looked up at him, and even though I hadn't been around too much after it was revealed he was Zach's father, I had no doubt then, with the look in his eyes that he really did care and love Zach.

"Yes, it stabilized." I said to him, turning my attention back to Zach.

"I'll have to do a few more tests and make sure he isn't hallucinating or having any trauma. I'll call you as soon as I'm finished." The doctor said to us, and Abby and Townsend turned to leave. I kissed Zach's forehead softly and traced my hand along his bruise gently, before dragging myself towards the door and exiting.

Townsend, Mr. Solomon and my aunt were huddled together in the lobby, talking amongst themselves.

They all stopped talking as soon as they saw me emerge from Zach's room. (Which is not a good sign let me tell you. Spies are trained to not be conspicuous. To not be obvious. And the most obvious thing anyone can do--spy training or not-- is to stop talking as soon as another person comes near.)

"What is it? What are you not telling me?" I demanded, walking right up to them. Abby turned towards me and pat my head.

"It's nothing squirt. He'll be fine. We're just deciding whether you two should still be stationed here or if you should return to the base in D.C." she said, her focus turning back to Mr. Solomon who stood there with his arms crossed.

"They've restrained the Subject, and he's being transported to Langley as we speak. There's nothing for them to do here." she said. But Mr. Solomon didn't look at all happy with her suggestion.

"He's a very dangerous person who is intent on killing Zach." Mr. Solomon said. "They should stay here until the Subject has been fully contained and will be of no harm to them."

"And where exactly will they be staying?" Abby asked, irritation starting to show on her face. "He knows where the safehouse is. If he wasn't working alone and its more than just the arms man he was working with, other rogues will find them. It's not safe for them to stay in Kabul." she countered.

"It's also not safe for them to be in D.C. If there was one rogue all the way across the world here in Kabul, there can be others." Townsend said, siding with Mr. Solomon. "And there is one heading to D.C as we speak."

"They must be in a protected location." Mr. Solomon said firmly, dropping his hands to his sides and tucking them into his pocket.

Body Language 101 for putting someone at ease.

Which, Mr. Solomon DOES NOT do let me tell you.

And it seemed like my aunt also noticed his striking change of demeanor, because she visibly relaxed (although she still had the look of irritation on her face,) and sighed.

"So what do you suggest?" she asked him, and as I watched my aunt look at my step-father for his input, I couldn't help but think one thing.

Mr. Solomon is a _REALLY_ good spy.

I don't even think my aunt realized what he did.

"They'll have to reside in a secure, off-the-grid location for the time being." he replied, turning around and heading towards the exit.

"I'll get it arranged."


	17. Chapter 17

If you thought I would take the time to sleep while my stepfather arranged for Zach and I to be transported, you were wrong.

If you thought I would at least _want_ to sleep while I waited, …. you were wrong.

If you thought my step-father would decide we were staying in Europe, you were correct.

And if you thought we would be staying at Bex's parents safehouse (research) in London, you were spot on.

45 minutes after Mr. Solomon announced Zach and I would be leaving.*

"Thank you for your patience." The doctor said as he emerged from Zach's room. "He should be waking up soon. His heart level is stabilizing and will be back to normal within a few hours. His sustained injuries should disappear within a couple weeks."

I let out a very loud sigh of relief and almost felt my legs go out.

"Thank you doctor." I said, hugging him before turning around to my aunt.

Beside her I saw Townsend's eyes watering slightly. He caught my eye and nodded for me to go into the room before him. I gave him a small smile before entering Zach's room.

He laid there, pretty much the same as before, but the discoloration on his chest was gone. It rose and dropped steadily, and his heartbeat stayed at a consistent pace as I walked over to him and rested my hand on his cheek.

I moved my fingers, tracing my hand along the bruise on his temple, stopping when I saw him wince.

"Zach?" I whispered, hoping he could hear me. "Are you awake?"

No response.

So I put my hand back on his head, running my hands through his hair this time, hoping I'd get another response.

He lay there, resting soundly with his eyes closed. I sighed and gently put my head on his, moving my hand from his hair to stroke his cheek. I felt stubble on his lower jaw, and slowly traced my fingers along his jawline.

"You never get enough of my face huh?" I heard him weakly mumble, and immediately I leaned forward to look into his half-open eyes.

"You're awake!" I exclaimed, as I looked into his familiar green eyes. It felt like forever since the last time I'd seen them. And as I sat there peering into them, I never loved the color green more than I did then.

He mustered a small smile in response and nodded his head. "It was just a scratch. I know girls who hit harder than him." he whispered, and I laughed.

"I'm so happy you're okay.." I said softly, taking his good hand into mine. I re-positioned my seat so I faced him.

His smile remained as he gazed at me. "I'm glad you're okay too."

"Don't ever do that again Zach." I warned. "You could have died." Just the thought made me emotional.

"No promises." he replied. I glared at him and started retracting my hand from his.

"Alright, alright. I won't." he said, his voice returning to normal. He glanced down at his chest. (Which was bare need I remind you!) Then his signature smirk flashed at me, and I had no doubt he was back to his normal self. "But you won't get the chance to have my shirt off again Gallagher Girl."

Yeah. He was back.

"For your information," I started, but never got to finish, (it wasn't like I had an excuse this time anyway), because the door opened and Townsend walked in.

"Ms. Morgan." Townsend said, nodding at me. I kissed Zach's forehead and stood up to leave, allowing him and Townsend to talk.

"I'll be back soon Zach." I said to him, and he nodded before turning his attention to his father as I exited the room.

Abby and Mr. Solomon stood in the lobby of the hospital, discussing our departure. I walked up to them, standing next to Mr. Solomon.

"Where to?" I asked him.

"The details are classified at the moment." he said. "The location is secure and protected. You and Zach will leave as soon as it is possible for him."

His gaze turned to my aunt.

"In the meantime we've alerted the CIA on the change of location and assignment." he continued.

"What's the new assignment?" I asked, curious.

Mr. Solomon turned his attention towards me again. "Keep Zachary safe." he said, and it felt like the Circle was pursuing us all over again.

"Eli may or may not have been telling the truth about Catherine assigning him to Matthew," Mr. Solomon continued, "but if he was, that means the Circle has not been completely eradicated. Eli is still alive and carrying out their objective. And he will not let anyone who left the Circle remain alive." he said, the words sinking in as he stared past me at Zach's room.

"We have to keep Zach protected at all costs." he finished, returning his gaze to me. I stared up at him, registering his words in my mind.

Zach was born into the Circle but rebelled; and only very few who do that stay alive.

And as I looked up at my step-father, I couldn't help but remember Zach wasn't the only one who Eli would be after.

"What about you Joe?" I asked him, immediately looking down at the ground at the use of his first name.

I don't think I would ever get used to calling him that.

"We believe Eli is under the impression Solomon died in the explosion at Blackthorne." Abby chimed in. "Catherine never saw him after that, so it's possible he may not be after him. However we're not so sure." she said, looking at Mr. Solomon.

"Agent Edwards knew he was alive before he died. We have no knowledge of whether he informed Catherine."

"What will you do?" I asked him.

"Don't worry Cameron. I'll return." he said, his vague words attempting to comfort me. "I have knowledge of where you'll be staying. Periodically you will receive updates from me."

I nodded my head, trying to shake the feeling that I would always be on the run.


	18. Chapter 18

Zach was on his feet 2 hours later with the help of some very strong medications (which I later found were created by Liz,) a portable heart rate monitor, and a portable breathing stabilizer.

Townsend helped to hold him up and walk him into the lobby where Abby, Solomon and I were sitting, finalizing our plan to leave.

"Zach," Mr. Solomon said, standing up and walking over to Zach. "It's good to see you're recovering."

"Thanks Joe." he replied, leaning off of Townsend as he balanced himself. "Where's Eli?"

"He has been restrained and is headed to Langley." Mr. Solomon replied, his gaze on Zach turning serious.

"As it is at the moment, you and Cameron will be reassigned to a location far from him. He is still a threat and seems intent on getting rid of you."

Zach glanced at me then back at Mr. Solomon. "Why?" he asked.

Mr. Solomon's eyes wearily flickered towards the ground before looking back at Zach. And in that split second, he didn't look like a seasoned operative, ready for whatever was thrown at him.

He looked like a man who was tired of fighting.

And I'd never seen anything more frightening.

"We have reason to believe he is a part of what is called 'The Inner Circle.'" he replied, and a look passed over Zach's face. "It's a splinter group so small and so covert only those who are in it know about it. However Cameron's dad Matthew was able to uncover it and alerted me about it. The only members are Catherine and Eli."

"He's part of The Circle?" Zach asked, disbelief showing on his face. "Didn't we get rid of them all already?"

"All but one." Abby chimed in. "He's the most dangerous and experienced of all the Circle members. He's also the only member we don't have much information on besides his basics. It won't be easy to get rid of him." She said, looking at Mr. Solomon.

"As far as we know, he's only been assigned to people who leave the Circle."

"So why was he assigned to my father..?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly. Zach looked over at me before turning to my aunt.

"We don't know Cammie.." Abby sighed, her shoulders slumping. "It could be possible it was because he was close to bringing them down, but we can't be absolutely sure."

I looked away from her to Zach, whose gaze was locked on Mr. Solomon.

"When do we leave..?" Zach asked him.

"Whenever you feel well enough to. Preferably as soon as possible." he replied, looking at Zach pointedly.

I turned my focus on him as well. The bruise on his temple was still wrapped in gauze, and his left arm was no different. However the swelling on his left eye had gone down significantly as I studied him standing next to Townsend.

"We'll leave tonight." He said, crossing his arms as his eyes locked with Mr. Solomon's.

He nodded his head in response, turning to look at me. "Cameron?" he asked. I nodded my head in agreement and Mr. Solomon turned from me to Townsend.

"Then it's final. We will leave at 10 o'clock sharp." he said, tucking his hands in his pockets as he started walking down a hallway, away from us.

"Where exactly are we going?" Zach called out to him.

Mr. Solomon turned on his heels to face us and walked backwards, continuing to depart as he replied,

"That, Zachary, is classified."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The hours didn't seem to pass by as fast as they did, but there Zach and I were, walking out of the hospital-safehouse onto the soft grass surrounding it.

It was 9:53 p.m, with 7 minutes left before our ride would arrive to take us to our undisclosed location. The moon illuminated our surroundings and I watched as Zach lowered himself onto a bench and gingerly felt his injured arm.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked as I watched him wince.

"...My arm and my eye are fine. I mainly just have pain in my chest." he admitted, looking up at me and offering a small smirk.

I stared at him as he gazed at me. My arms were crossed, and I leaned against the brick wall of the building and exhaled a sigh.

"What you did was crazy Zach.." I mumbled, allowing anger to seep through my words. "You could have been killed."

"The same goes for you Cam." he said, and something about that made me snap.

"No, it wouldn't have happened if you had just let me come with you instead of making me stay at the safehouse!" I yelled, stepping closer to him. I felt my eyes watering, but I wouldn't let any tears to fall.

"You needed me there Zach." I said. "You didn't have to go fight him on your own. You can't do everything on your own. I'm not some helpless girl!" I yelled, turning away from him as I went on.

"Can't you consider that one day you may try to handle something on your own… and," I paused, hating myself for choking up.

"One day you may not be able to." I whispered. "One day it might be too much." I said, my eyes practically a waterfall about to overflow.

I heard him stand up behind me, but I couldn't face him.

And I felt an arm go around me and his head rest on top of mine.

"You should know how I feel then Cammie. Because I've seen you in a hospital bed far more times than I can handle." he whispered.

"And every time something bad happened to you, it was because you were linked to me. With the explosion at Blackthorne.. in D.C.. when you had to run away that summer.." he rambled, his grip on my waist loosening.

"I don't want to be the reason you get hurt Cam. Or.. worse." he said. "So if I made you worry, then I'm sorry. But I don't want to lose you." he finished, gently turning me around to face him.

"I don't want to lose you either Zach. It goes for you too. So you have to be careful." I said, reaching for his good hand. "No more risking your life for me. We're in this together. So it's on both of us."

He nodded, his eyes trained on me as I leaned up to kiss his cheek.

I heard a door open behind me, and turned to face Mr. Solomon coming towards us, along with my aunt and Agent Townsend. Mr. Solomon nodded his head in a greeting towards us before looking past us into the distance.

"The helicopter will be arriving shortly." he said, just as the low rumbling sound became audible.

Zach and I turned to face the sound and saw the helicopter descending towards our hospital. He turned towards Mr. Solomon, raising his voice as the helicopter got louder.

"Are you sure we can trust this guy?" he yelled, which was a pretty daring question to be asking Mr. Solomon if you ask me.

I mean, come on.

But any suspicion of who was in the helicopter or who we would be staying with vanished as the helicopter landed and the door swung open, revealing a familiar British beauty that I hadn't seen in months stepping out towards us, a huge grin on her face.

"I don't know, can you Zachary?"


	19. Chapter 19

"Bex?" I asked in disbelief.

"Oh my gosh Bex!" I yelled, leaving Zach's side and running to embrace her in a hug.

"What was that about not trusting the person you're staying with? _Zachary_?" Bex asked him, tauntingly.

If she was expecting some sort of similar response, she didn't get it. And frankly I don't think neither she, nor I was expecting his _actual_ response.

Zach smiled.

Like an actual, warm smile that you give to a friend you haven't seen in a while.

And it was actually really cute.

That is, until a smirk replaced it and he said, "It's good to see you. _Rebecca_."

All traces of playfulness instantly left her face at the use of her full name and a glare surfaced instead.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you. Need I remind you, you'll be in _my_ house for the next couple of days. I'd suggest you stay on my good side." she told him.

Zach just smirked even wider, walking past her and into the helicopter before he turned and looked over his shoulder at her.

"No promises."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

It was 10:09 when the helicopter lifted into the night sky and began its flight to Europe.

Abby, Mr. Solomon and Townsend sat towards the very back of the helicopter and finalized the arrangements while Zach sat next to the pilot, and Bex and I sat behind them.

"So," Bex started, turning towards me in her seat. "What happened to him?"

I glanced over at Zach as he kept his eyes trained ahead of him.

"Circle." I replied, keeping my voice at a soft whisper.

Bex's face twisted into some sort of combination of shock, disbelief, anger and denial as she looked at me.

"What do you mean, " _The Circle_ " she asked, the denial pretty obvious on her face.

"I mean The Circle," I repeated, suddenly very over this conversation. "As in we didn't get rid of them all."

"But… isn't Catherine dead?" she whispered. "Didn't she die in the fire in Gallagher?"

"Yeah. She did. But she wasn't the last member." I replied, turning away from Bex to look out the window. Outside, the moon reflected gently off of the ocean below us. On any other occasion it would have felt serene. But the night felt anything but beautiful.

"Eli is the last member."

"Who?" she asked. I turned to look at her confused face and said the one thing she wasn't expecting to hear.

"The man who killed my father."

I watched as her face morphed from confusion to sympathy, and finally to a sort of quiet, almost calm determination. She reached for my hand, that until that moment I hadn't realized were cold and shaking.

"We'll get him Cam. If it's the last thing we do, we will get him. And we will get answers." She whispered out of the earshot of the others.

I nodded my head, offering a small smile in return before absentmindedly turning to look at Zach. He had removed the gauze from his temple and was gazing at the night sky.

The bruise had gone down, and the skin surrounding it had started to return to its normal color. I continued watching him, and felt a quiet, almost calm determination course through me as well.

"Yes. Yes we will." I said.

Slowly, I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes and willed myself to fall asleep.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

I woke up from dozing about an hour and a half later, and heard Mr. Solomon talking very softly on a burner phone.

Very subtly, I adjusted my position slowly to better hear him, cracking my eyes open just barely to study his posture.

His back was turned away from me, but his body was relaxed. I could just barely make out the voice on the other line was a woman.

A very familiar, _maternal_ sounding woman.

"We're on a flight to Europe as we speak." Mr. Solomon said softly.

I shifted slightly and saw a small smile appear on his face.

"He's better now. It'll take him a couple weeks to be back to normal but he's okay." He said. I risked a glance at Zach before turning back to Mr. Solomon, who managed to turn and face me in that split second that I looked away.

Man, he was good.

His eyes locked with mine as he spoke to the woman on the phone again.

"She's fine, she has no injuries. She's awake actually. " He said as he stood up and started making his way to me. He stretched his hand out and handed me the phone, all the while I felt sheepish for being caught eavesdropping.

"Hello?" I said, watching Mr. Solomon as he returned to his seat.

"Hey kiddo. How are you?"

"Mom?" I practically yelled. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone on the helicopter had woken up after my little outburst.

"Hey. It's good to hear from you kiddo." she said.

"Mom I-" I couldn't even finish my sentence. My eyes watered instantly after hearing her comforting voice and I immediately turned away from Mr. Solomon's sight.

"I miss you mom. Zach almost died and we found the man who killed dad and he's going to try to kill Zach and Joe." I rambled, my emotions I didn't even know I was feeling poured out of me like a waterfall.

"Mom I-"

"It's okay kiddo. We've got him restrained at Langley. The security is keeping a very close eye on him and when we're all ready, we'll talk to him. But listen Cammie." She said, in between my sniffling.

"I don't know just how much you and Zach must have gone through on this mission. I know this must be difficult, but you are strong... You are so strong Cameron. And you're making us all so proud. Joe was just telling me how proud he is of you, and I know that Matthew would be too sweetheart." She said, and I risked a peek at Mr. Solomon.

His head was tilted towards the ceiling of the helicopter and his hands were tucked in his pockets. He was contemplating, no doubt.

I turned my head back around as my mom spoke on. "It's almost over kiddo. It's almost over. Don't ever give up okay?"

"Okay." I whispered.

"I love you kiddo. I'll see you soon."

"Okay mom. I love you too." I said, as I got up to hand the phone back to Mr. Solomon.

I walked back to my seat, suddenly feeling very drained from everything as I plopped into the leather.

My tears had stopped falling, but I couldn't stop sniffling, which normally would be very annoying, except it seemed to wake Zach up, because he turned around in his seat in front of me and saw me.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked me, his groggy voice making my heart jump for a second.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I said, but Zach didn't seem to buy it, because he lifted himself from his seat, stretched his legs over the armrest that separated us, and plopped himself into the seat next to me.

He pulled out a blanket from a compartment next to the exit door and draped it on us. His arm came around me, and he tilted my head onto his shoulder before putting a soft kiss on my hair.

"It's almost over Gallagher Girl." he whispered, and I nodded into his shoulder.

"We've got Eli restrained at least, so let's focus on that." he said, and I nodded again, feeling myself calm down a little.

"I love you Zach." I mumbled as my eyes got heavier. "I really do."

"I love you too Gallagher Girl." he said. "Four hours left." He said, and I giggled.

"Your time is always off." I teased. "It's three hours and twenty-eight minutes." I corrected.

"That's my girl." He said, and I felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the blanket flow through me.

"Goodnight Gallagher Girl."

I heard him say, before I closed my eyes and let my worries go for the night.

 **Hi guys! Sorry this one took a while, I really wanted to make sure this story stays practical, like if the book continued. I hope you liked this chapter! I really appreciate all the reviews as well :') thank you. If anyone has ideas of how the story will end, please say them! I'm also trying to decide how to end this story lol, but we have a few chapters until then.** **Also, I'll probably work on another story that _may_ be a continuation of this, but after some time has passed, and it will be more romantic, less suspenseful. Anyways, here's chapter 19!**


	20. Chapter 20

We landed in Europe at 6:19 am the next morning.

Mr. Solomon had a limo waiting on the tarmac for us when we arrived, reminiscent of our Gallagher days. Together, we all piled out of the helicopter onto the gravel and started towards the limo.

I slid my hand into Zach's good hand as we walked, ignoring Bex's suggestive glances in our direction. I watched as two familiar faces emerged from the limousine and met us halfway.

"Mr. Baxter, Mrs. Baxter," Mr. Solomon said, extending his hand out to Bex's parents.

"Joe." Mr. Baxter replied, reaching his hand out to accept Mr. Solomon's. Mrs. Baxter gave him a polite smile and nodded her head at him before all three of the adults turned in our direction.

"Mother, father," Bex said to her parents, nodding her head towards Zach and I. "You remember Zach." She said, training her eyes on her parents.

Mr. Baxter stepped closer to Zach and reached out his hand.

"Yes, we've met before." He acknowledged, briefly looking Zach over.

Zach kept his eyes fixed on Mr. Baxter's as he removed his good hand from mine and extended it to Bex's father. He mumbled something under his breath that sounded like a "yeah you too" before putting his hand in his pocket. I glanced at Bex and saw the same unease on her face that I felt.

Abby and Townsend exchanged their greetings with the Baxters before Mr. Solomon turned and headed towards the limousine, with the adults and Zach in tow. Bex and I followed from a distance, keeping our voices low as we talked amongst each other.

"Are your parents still stuck on Zach's Circle lineage?" I whispered to Bex, my eyes trained on Zach's tense body as he walked.

"Don't ask me; I don't see them all the time either," she defended. "I thought they'd be over it by now."

"Looks like they're not.." I mumbled, hurrying to catch up to the others. Mr. Solomon opened the door to the limo and held it open for us. Abby, Townsend, Zach, Bex, Mr. Solomon & I piled into the spacious backseat, while Mr. Baxter sat in the driver's seat with Mrs. Baxter in the passenger.

"How long before we get to the safehouse?" I heard Zach ask Mr. Solomon.

"A little over an hour." He replied.

Zach's eyes briefly met mine before he glanced at Bex's parents, made the slightest face of annoyance, and turned to stare through the tinted, bullet-proof windows. I risked a glance at Mr. Baxter through the petition and saw him inserting the limo keys into the ignition. I gave a nearly inaudible sigh before looking back at Zach, whose eyes stayed trained on the road as the limo began to drive off the tarmac and onto an unpaved street.

I'd been on some pretty lengthy expeditions before.

I mean, I had been on a _17-hour flight_ to get to Kabul.

But in _**that**_ moment, with Zach's obvious tension with the Baxters and their little-less-than-friendly demeanor towards him, "a little over an hour" never seemed so long.

* * *

 **Pros & Cons of Staying With The Baxters for the Remainder of Our Mission:**

 **Pro: The Baxters are much more skilled at cooking than Zach and I, so our meals are a little bit closer to the Grand Hall's.**

 **Con: Eating with the Baxters means inevitable tension between them and Zach.**

 **Pro: More trained operatives on this mission means more information on Eli.**

 **Con: Said operatives won't necessarily update you with said information.**

 **Pro: Staying in Europe means you're far away from the man who killed your father and who is** _ **trying**_ **to kill your step-father and boyfriend.**

 **Con: Staying in Europe means you're also farther away from answers.**

* * *

We pulled in to the Baxters driveway about an hour later, and piled out of the limousine and into their immense home. They and the rest of the adults gravitated towards the den while Bex, Zach and I stood in the hallway.

"Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable; there are six guest bedrooms to split among yourselves…" Mr. Baxter said, turning his attention from the adults to us. "Rebecca, Cameron, you know where the rooms are.. you can show Mr. Goode around." He said, looking at Zach briefly before turning to Mr. Solomon.

Bex and I glanced at each other before I turned to Zach and gestured for us to head to the rooms. Together, Zach, Bex and I headed up the staircase and to the bedrooms.

"So," Bex started as we reached the top stair. "How exactly did you get a bruise on your head, your arm in a bloody cast, and your chest almost split open?" she asked, turning to face Zach.

"I will tell you as soon as you show me my room." He responded, stretching his wounded arm in a slow circular motion.

"It's a long story Bex.." I chimed in, "we should let him recover first before talking about it."

"Or eat." Zach said, walking away from us and to the nearest room. "Is it okay if this one's mine?" he asked, turning to Bex.

"Sure," She replied, glancing at me.

"Great." He shortly replied before turning away, entering it and shutting the door.

Bex stared at the door for a second before mumbling "he is not happy" as we walked towards her room.

"Yeah well.. there's a lot that's happened these past couple of days Bex." I replied, plopping myself down onto her bed the minute we entered.

"So it seems." She said, sitting on the other side of her queen bed. "Is he really okay? He has a lot of injuries."

I stared up at her familiar ceiling. "He almost died." I replied. "Eli literally missed his heart by this much," I said, holding my index and thumb finger closely together as I turned to look at her. I watched as she turned away from me and looked towards her door.

"He says he's fine but for me it's a whole different feeling." I continued, turning back to the ceiling as I felt my eyes start to burn.

"I could have lost him Bex….. I almost did lose him." I whispered as she turned to look at me.

"Why does he want Zach?" she asked. I pushed myself off my back and leaned onto the head board.

"He's hunting down anyone who went against the Circle." I sighed, turning to Bex and waiting for her to connect the pieces. She looked at me hard for a split second before realizing what I was indicating.

"Mr. Solomon?" she asked as it sunk in.

"Yep." I replied shortly, turning back towards the ceiling.

"Wow…" she mumbled, shaking her head before a frown emerged on her face.

"So we still haven't taken down the Circle.."

"Not yet." I reluctantly agreed, letting a frustrated sigh escape from me.

"And their next targets are Zach and Mr. Solomon." She continued.

"We don't know if he knows Joe is alive," I chipped in, turning to face her.

"Well," she said, getting up from the bed and pulling me by my arms off it, "then this mission isn't over."

"By contrast, it's now beginning Cam." She said, a confident smile on her face as she walked to the door and pulled me alongside.

"We're gonna go to Langley, find the idiot, and we're gonna get answers." She said, swinging her door open as we stepped out into the hallway and headed to Zach's room.

"We can't go to Washington Bex," I interrupted. She stopped in front of Zach's door, knocked, and turned to face me as we waited for him to open.

"And why is that?"

"Well for starters, we can't sneak out of your house." I responded.

"That's never stopped you before." She retorted. "You and I both know that if you wanted to leave here and go to Washington, you could do it. You did it once when you decided to go chase the Circle on your own remember?" She said, her face turning serious for a minute. "What's the real reason Cam?" she asked. "Are you scared?"

I stared at her, unable to answer. I watched as Bex's face slowly shifted from disbelief at my reluctance to leave her house to a mixture of shock and realization.

"Cammie.. are you afraid to confront Eli?" she asked just as Zach opened his door.

"Are you hungry?" I asked him, desperately trying to avoid Bex's eye-opening question.

I _**was**_ afraid.

And I didn't know it until then. But actually coming face-to-face with the man who killed your father, almost killed your boyfriend and most likely would also try to kill your step-father isn't just _"scary",_ its _ **terrifying**_. And not knowing if he would succeed in taking away another person you loved is enough to reduce the bravest person to a coward.

And I never knew it until then, but despite all my years at Gallagher, despite all the successful missions I had been on, and despite all the training and courage that I had built up until then, I realized then, that I was afraid.

And I did not like it.


	21. Chapter 21

**I want to start by thanking you all so very much for your reviews and more importantly, your patience. I want to make sure this story sounds authentic and follows Ally Carter's storyline, so it takes time to create the idea and make sure it doesn't stray off. Also, I am very busy, but I have not let go of writing this story, and I want to thank you all for continuing to patiently wait. I hope by the time this story ends, it will be one of your favorites. If you have any suggestions, please drop them in the reviews! (No cursing _pleassseeeee._ ) So without further ado, here is Chapter 21. **

* * *

If you thought it was rough having to admit that I, a highly-trained spy who had taken down groups of terrorists at a time, was now afraid of _**one**_ man, try sitting next to the person who made you realize it and next to the boy who doesn't necessarily like her parents.

Trust me. It's not fun.

But there we were: Mr. Solomon, my aunt, Agent Townsend, The Baxters, myself and Zach, all at their eight-seater table, making small talk while Zach, Bex and I awkwardly ate dinner.

Zach kept his focus on his food, not saying a word as the adults filled in the Baxters on what happened during the past week.

Mr. Solomon relayed he and Abby's encounter with Eli in the alleyway and their meet up with us before Townsend brought up the fight at the warehouse.

"Wait, so he shot after you and Abby in the car, right?" Bex asked Mr. Solomon. He nodded his head in agreement as he stuffed his face with a piece of meat.

"So when did he come in contact with Cammie and Zach?" she asked.

"Zach and I met up with Abby and Mr. Solomon in the same alleyway two days after Eli shot at them," I told her. "After they left, he showed up in the alleyway and confronted us."

"So he was tailing you," Mr. Baxter interrupted, a serious look on his face.

"No," Mr. Solomon interjected, "he was tailing us."

"What did he say to you?" Mrs. Baxter asked us.

"He said he needed our help," I responded, looking at Mr. Solomon. "He said the prisoner you and Abby were tracking got out of jail and was probably going to try to kill him."

Bex didn't even try to hide her snort. "That's bloody lame," she mumbled, moving the food around on her plate, "did he really think you'd fall for that?"

"Well, when we didn't he said, 'I wouldn't expect any less from a Gallagher Girl.'"

Bex looked up from her plate and turned to me, along with the rest of the adults.

"He mentioned you being from Gallagher?" Abby asked, alarm written on her face.

"Yeah, he-"

"He stated that she's from Gallagher and that me and Joe are from Blackthorne." Zach interrupted, finally looking up from his plate and right at Abby. "And he said that no one in this business can be trusted, because the good ones work with the bad, and because of that, anyone could be a double or triple agent."

"If he mentioned Zach and Joseph being from Blackthorne then it's a good chance he knows Joseph is still alive." Agent Townsend said, looking directly at Mr. Solomon as the room fell silent. The only sound that was heard was the sound of Bex clinking her fork against her plate.

"Is that when he attacked you?" Bex asked, looking at Zach and I.

"No, he dropped a piece of Evapopaper on the ground and I took it," I spoke up, looking down sheepishly as I saw Mr. Solomon look at me with disappointment.

 **CoveOps Lesson 16: Don't fall for the enemy's tricks.** Fell for that one.

"When we examined it the next morning, we saw a tracking device hidden in it, so we cleared out the safehouse and left separately." I said, looking up from the table. "We had our Comms with us, so I could hear Zach while I moved towards his location, but Eli showed up before I made it there."

"When she got there he had already finished with the prisoner," Zach said, "he said dealing with him wasn't important, but he knew it would give him the chance to run into Cammie."

Bex's eyes widened in surprise and Abby shared a concerned look with Townsend as he went on.

"Then he mentioned her father," he said, glancing at me as if I would burst into tears at any moment, "and said Catherine specifically assigned Eli to him. He also mentioned you," Zach said, turning his attention to Townsend, "and Abby. He thought you two, or at least one of you, were dead from an incident in Buenos Aires."

I watched as my aunt's face turned a pale white color at the mention of Buenos Aires and Mr. Solomon looked down at the table.

"And lastly, he said before Catherine died, he became aware that Zach rebelled against the Circle," I finished. "And then he attacked."

The room was deathly silent as everyone looked at us. Mr. Baxter shared a look with Mr. Solomon before exhaling a sigh and placing his hands on the table. His fingers drummed along the table before he spoke up.

"So it's him." He said softly. Mr. Solomon slowly nodded his head in agreement, and soon Abby and Townsend did the same.

I looked at them nodding their heads in unison curiously. "What do you mean _'it's him'_?'" I asked.

"He's the one Cameron." Mr. Solomon replied shortly and somberly. "He's the one who took out Matthew."

Bex, Zach and I looked at each other before I turned towards Mr. Solomon again.

"But—are you sure? What about Catherine?" I asked, the pieces not coming together in my head.

"What about her?" he asked, and I glanced at Zach.

"Well," I started, squirming in my seat, "Wasn't she in Rome around the time my father went missing?" I asked, and watched as the facial expressions on the adults (and Bex) all looked at me with alarm.

"Where did you get that information from?" Bex asked me. I looked down at my plate as I softly replied.

"From Catherine."

* * *

10 minutes later we were all in den, with the adults (and Bex,) interrogating me.

Zach stood close beside me in a slightly protective manner, while Bex and the rest of the adults stood across from me, all of them with their arms crossed.

"Okay Cameron," Mr. Solomon spoke up first, "I need you to tell me _**exactly**_ what Catherine told you when you were captured."

I fidgeted on one foot as I relayed what happened. Abby's face lit up with surprise as I mentioned Catherine accusing her of ulterior motives for not going to Rome.

"Me?!" She exclaimed, livid. "Is she _**honestly**_ insinuating that I would just **let** Matthew die?" she yelled loudly. Let me just tell you that if looks could kill and Catherine was in that room, at that moment, she would be dead twice.

"To think she would use that as leverage to make Abby a suspect," I heard Townsend mumble to himself in disbelief. He shook his head and instantly looked irritated. "Nothing is past her." He said.

I snuck a glance at Zach watching his father talk about his mother. His face was expressionless, and as much as I tried in that quick second, I couldn't read how he must have really been feeling. Bex snapped me out of my quick glance as she threw the next question at me.

"What makes you think Catherine was in Rome at the time your dad went missing?" she asked.

"She held up a file with a picture of him on the phone and said he was calling Abby and telling her to come to Rome," I said. "That agrees with what Abby told us last summer, but for Catherine to know that he was _specifically_ calling Abby, she would have had to actually hear it." I said.

"Which means she was in Rome at the time.." Mr. Solomon finished for me, shaking his head. "She was onto him the whole time without him knowing." He said, lowering himself onto a nearby couch. The room fell silent as we realized the gravity of what was said.

"If it was truly Catherine," Zach spoke up, his face hard and his voice cold, "then who is Eli? Really?"

Bex clapped her hands together and turned to face the adults, her face full of determination. "Guess we're gonna have to fly over to Washington and find out. I'll get our bags packed."


End file.
